Worker dies after fall at under construction thermal plant

Tuticorin: A 24-year-old construction worker from Bihar died in the early hours of Monday after he suffered fatal injuries from a alleged fall. Following the incident, other contract workers went on a sit-in strike on the premises on Monday morning.
The victim, Krishna Shah hailing from Bagathpur in Bihar was working in the construction of the second unit of NTPL (Neyveli Tamil Nadu Power Project Limited) thermal plant being constructed in Tuticorin since 2008.The 1000 MW (2X500) power plant - a joint venture between Neyveli Lignite Corporation and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board is nearing completion with the first unit undergoing trials and expected commissioning in the next month while the second unit is nearing completion.
Shah was working in a turbine structure and was welding when he fell down at around 2.30am on Monday. Police sources said the plate beneath his feet slipped and the worker fell from a height of seven metres. He was rushed to Tuticorin Government Hospital for treatment but was pronounced brought dead after reaching the hospital, police said.
As the news spread, his fellow contract workers went on the strike around 9am demanding proper compensation for the deceased worker. They also demanded that his mortal remains be sent to his native place in Bihar. The Thermal Nagar police rushed to the spot and Town DSP, Chakravarthy inspected the accident spot and held talks with the protesting workers. The workers also refused to accept the dead body of the worker after postmortem causing tension on the power plant premises. After police negotiated with the workers assuring steps to fulfil their demands, the workers withdrew their strike around 11.30am and returned to their work, according to police sources.