QWLDesiree at 18:23, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T18:23:01Z

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{{Short description|Disaster at a power plant in India}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
[[File:Chhattisgarh locator map.svg|right|thumb|The chimney collapse occurred in the [[States and union territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Chhattisgarh]]]]

The '''2009 Korba chimney collapse''' occurred in the town of [[Korba, Chhattisgarh|Korba]] in the Indian state of [[Chhattisgarh]] on 23 September 2009. The chimney was under construction under contract for the [[Bharat Aluminium Company|Bharat Aluminium Co Ltd]] (Balco). Construction had reached {{convert|240|m|abbr=on}} when the chimney collapsed on top of more than 100 workers who had been taking shelter from a thunderstorm. At least 45 deaths were recorded.<ref name="Balco chimney mishap: Three Chinese officials arrested in Korba">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/3-Chinese-techies-held-for-Balco-mishap/H1-Article1-496274.aspx|title=Balco chimney mishap: Three Chinese officials arrested in Korba|date=11 January 2010|access-date=26 January 2010|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115082506/http://www.hindustantimes.com/3-Chinese-techies-held-for-Balco-mishap/H1-Article1-496274.aspx|archive-date=15 January 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Financial Times">{{cite web|last=Anderlini|first=Jamil|url=https://www.ft.com/content/8411aa16-ac90-11de-a754-00144feabdc0|title=India questions Sepco staff over chimney collapse|date=29 September 2009|access-date=29 September 2009|work=[[Financial Times]]|archive-date=3 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003122417/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8411aa16-ac90-11de-a754-00144feabdc0.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="25 die in accident at BALCO's new plant at Korba">{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/25-die-in-accident-at-balco%5Cs-new-plant-at-korba/371100/|title=25 die in accident at BALCO's new plant at Korba|date=24 September 2009|access-date=24 September 2009|work=[[Business Standard]]}}</ref>

== Incident and rescue ==
Plans specify a {{convert|275|m|adj=on}} chimney for the construction of a [[thermal power plant]] by Balco, which is owned by [[Vedanta Resources]].<ref name="25 die in accident at BALCO's new plant at Korba"/><ref name="Deaths as India chimney collapses"/><ref name="Many dead after construction accident in India">{{cite web|url=http://www.rnw.nl/id/node/27538|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130222160905/http://www.rnw.nl/id/node/27538|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 February 2013|title=Many dead after construction accident in India|date=23 September 2009|access-date=23 September 2009|publisher=[[Radio Netherlands Worldwide]]}}</ref> The incident happened during [[extreme weather]] conditions involving lightning and torrential rainfall. Workers sought shelter from the rain in a nearby store room,<ref name="25 die in accident at BALCO's new plant at Korba"/><ref name="Balco chimney fall kills 24"/> and a lightning strike at approximately 16:00 brought the chimney down on top of them.<ref name="Balco chimney fall kills 24"/><ref name="25 die in accident at Balco's new plant at Korba">{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/25-die-in-accident-at-balco%5Cs-new-plant-at-korba/371100/|title=25 die in accident at Balco's new plant at Korba|date=24 September 2009|access-date=24 September 2009|work=[[Business Standard]]}}</ref>

A rescue attempt was initiated following the collapse. Ongoing rain obstructed efforts to retrieve the trapped workers.<ref name="25 die in accident at Balco's new plant at Korba"/> At least seven of the wounded were hospitalised.<ref name="Deaths as India chimney collapses">{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/09/200992316369756506.html|title=Deaths as India chimney collapses|date=23 September 2009|access-date=23 September 2009|publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924101301/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/09/200992316369756506.html|archive-date= 24 September 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> A Gannon Dunkerley & Co Ltd employee was allegedly lynched by angry workers; his corpse was located near the scene.<ref name="25 die in accident at Balco's new plant at Korba"/> It was originally thought he had fallen from the chimney, but wounds indicate he was attacked.<ref name="Balco chimney fall kills 24">{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090924/jsp/nation/story_11534624.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927085200/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090924/jsp/nation/story_11534624.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 September 2009|title=Balco chimney fall kills 24|date=24 September 2009|access-date=24 September 2009|work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]]|location=Kolkata}}</ref>

== Reaction ==
An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the collapse.<ref name="India chimney collapse 'kills 15'">{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8271423.stm|title=India chimney collapse 'kills 15'|date=23 September 2009|access-date=23 September 2009|publisher=[[BBC]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929194128/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8271423.stm|archive-date=29 September 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="15 die in power plant accident">{{cite web|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_433506.html|title=15 die in power plant accident|date=23 September 2009|access-date=23 September 2009|work=[[The Straits Times]]}}</ref><ref name="UPDATE 2-At least 20 killed in Indian chimney collapse"/> Balco initially did not discuss the incident at length, stating only that "[t]here is an accident and some people are injured";<ref name="UPDATE 2-At least 20 killed in Indian chimney collapse">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSSP52462320090923|title=UPDATE 2-At least 20 killed in Indian chimney collapse|date=23 September 2009|access-date=23 September 2009|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> claiming to be too busy with the rescue effort to make a longer statement.<ref name="25 die in accident at Balco's new plant at Korba"/> The state government believes that Balco had been "overlooking security aspects".<ref name="15 workers killed, 50 trapped in Chhattisgarh plant, probe ordered"/> District superintendent of police, Ratanlal Dangi, described it as "a massive accident".<ref name="India chimney collapse 'kills 15'"/> The state announced [[Indian rupee|Rs]].100,000 (US$2084) compensation for the family of each of the dead.<ref name="15 workers killed, 50 trapped in Chhattisgarh plant, probe ordered">{{cite web |url=http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jjxvOoigfij&title=15_workers_killed_50_trapped_in_Chhattisgarh_plant_probe_ordered |title=15 workers killed, 50 trapped in Chhattisgarh plant, probe ordered |date=23 September 2009 |access-date=23 September 2009 |website=[[Sify]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630214735/http://www.sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jjxvOoigfij&title=15_workers_killed_50_trapped_in_Chhattisgarh_plant_probe_ordered |archive-date=30 June 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In November 2009, the project manager from GDCL was arrested, as well as three officials from Vedanta Resources which manages Balco. Later the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur observed that the materials were of substandard quality and technically faulty in design. NIT also concluded that there was improper water curing and that soil at the site was not up to code. Additionally, supervision and monitoring was found to be negligent. On 11 January 2010, as a result of these findings, three senior officials of Sepco, the Chinese company contracted to build the chimney, were arrested and are being held without bail.<ref name="Balco chimney mishap: Three Chinese officials arrested in Korba"/>

== Litigations ==
{{outdated section|date=February 2020}}
The 2009 Korba Chimney Collapse case was headed by Judge [[Mahadev Katulkar]]. On 26 November 2009, he rejected bail pleas of BALCO officials, including Vice-President and AGM<sup>[''[[Wikipedia:Please clarify|clarification needed]]'']</sup> of BALCO. He then sent the pair into judicial custody.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/court-rejects-bail-pleas-of-balco-officers-109112800033_1.html|title=Court rejects bail pleas of Balco officers|last=Reporter|first=B. S.|date=28 November 2009|newspaper=Business Standard India|access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref> Later, on 18 January 2010, Katulkar rejected the bail pleas of three Chinese nationals who were contracted by SEPCO to build the power plant by BALCO.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2010/jan/18/balco-mishap-bail-denied-to-3-chinese-nationals-161871.html|title=Balco mishap: Bail denied to 3 Chinese nationals|newspaper=The New Indian Express|access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of chimneys]]
* [[List of structural failures and collapses]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100208152126/http://balcoindia.com/index1.asp Official site] of [[Bharat Aluminium Company|Bharat Aluminium Co Ltd]]

{{Disasters in India in 2009}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Korba chimney collapse}}
[[Category:Construction accidents]]
[[Category:2000s in Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:2009 disasters in India|Korba Chimney Collapse, 2009]]
[[Category:2009 industrial disasters|Korba Chimney Collapse, 2009]]
[[Category:Korba district|Chimney collapse]]
[[Category:Korba, Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:September 2009 in India]]
[[Category:Vedanta Resources]]
[[Category:Chimneys]]

2009 Korba chimney collapse - Revision history

QWLDesiree at 18:23, 7 April 2026