Leak triggers fire, blast at GCC’s bio-CNG plant; one worker dies, another hurt

CHENNAI: A gas leak at the Greater Chennai Corporation's bio-CNG plant in Manali killed a 25-year-old staff and injured another employee after the leak triggered a fire and resulted in a blast that brought the building down, late on Saturday night.

Police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel are investigating the source of the leak which triggered the fire and the subsequent blast which led to a fatal incident.

The bio-CNG plant, established two years ago under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, receives solid waste from five Corporation zones.

On Saturday, workers were in the control room when one of the machines exploded, bringing the roof of the control room down. The accident also triggered a fire, filling the plant with heavy smoke.

The Manali police and several fire tenders rushed to the scene and pulled out the two injured men from under the debris. The men were identified as Saravanakumar (25) of Namakkal, a machine operator, and Baskaran (25).

Police said Saravanakumar died on the way to the hospital while Baskaran is under treatment. He was later shifted to Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for further treatment.

The police have registered a case and are investigating. Tiruvottiyur MLA KP Shankar visited the scene and reviewed the situation.

Meanwhile, a top official with the corporation said the bio-CNG plant is operated by a concessionaire under the PPP agreement. "The corporation supplies wet waste as per contract. There is no problem for the digester, the exact reason for the accident will be known once the technical consultant gives the report," the official said.

Officials said the blast happened in the purification control room and added that a team from the technical advisor for the project, Ceide Consultants, have come to the site and are analysing the cause of the accident.