Nine Workers from Assam Killed in Ennore Thermal Power Station Roof Collapse

Nine workers from Assam tragically died on Tuesday when part of a space frame being erected for the roof of a coal-handling shed at the Ennore Thermal Power Station in Voyalur, Tiruvallur district, collapsed.

A tenth worker, Mangal (36), also from Assam, survived and is receiving treatment at Government Stanley Medical College (GSMC) in Chennai, about 50 km from the site.

Details of the Incident

Police identified the deceased as Munnakempral, Vidayum Pravotsha, Sumon Karikap, Deepak Raijiung, Sarbojit Thausen, Pranto Sorong, Paban Sorong, Phaibit Phonglo, and Bimaraj Thausen. Their bodies were taken to GSMC for postmortem, scheduled for Wednesday.

According to Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) chairman J Radhakrishnan, around ten workers were on the portion of the space frame at a height of approximately 45 metres (150 feet) when three grid bays collapsed, killing nine workers on the spot. The lone survivor was able to cling to the structure until rescued.

Contractors and Construction Details

The workers were employed by Metalkarma Engineering Technologies (MET), a private contractor engaged by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), which holds the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contract for the project. The facility is being developed by Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited and comprises two coal-based units of 660 MW each.

Approximately 75% of construction work has been completed, with 3,000 workers employed across various tasks, many housed temporarily near Minjur. Preliminary checks indicate the workers were wearing necessary safety gear, according to Radhakrishnan.

Investigations and Legal Action

Investigations have been launched to determine the cause of the collapse and whether negligence occurred. Police from Avadi Police Commissionerate plan to file a case against supervisory staff of MET and inspect the site and the injured worker.

The last fatal incident at a thermal plant in Tamil Nadu occurred at Mettur Thermal Power Station in Salem in December 2024, claiming two lives.

Government Response

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed condolences. Stalin announced a solatium of ₹10 lakh for each family of the deceased and directed officials to arrange transportation of the bodies to Assam. Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.

Officials, including Minister for Transport and Electricity SS Sivasankar, have been directed to personally oversee relief operations at the site.