NTPC explosion: Rahul Gandhi arrives in Rae Bareli to meet injured

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a short break from the fervour of Gujarat’s campaign trail and arrived in the Congress bastion of Rae Bareli, where a massive blast at a thermal power plant killed 26 people and injured nearly 100 others.
Earlier in the day, Rahul flew in from the port city of Surat and reached the Rae Bareli district hospital to meet those injured in the power plant accident.

An explosion took place in a boiler room at the Unchahar plant of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) on Wednesday evening.
Soon after reports of the blast came in, the Congress leader had conveyed his condolences to families of the bereaved and asked the ruling BJP government to extend every possible aid to the wounded.
“I am saddened by the incident at the Rae Bareli’s NTPC plant. My heartfelt condolences with the family of the dead. I request the administration to help the injured immediately,” he said in a tweet.

Later in the evening, Congress President Sonia Gandhi expressed her regret at being unable to visit Rae Bareli, the constituency she represents in Parliament, owing to her poor health.
Following this, Rahul announced his decision to visit his mother’s constituency.

“Due to the unfortunate NTPC accident, I will visit Rae Bareli tomorrow morning. Will join Gujarat Navsarjan Yatra in the afternoon,” Rahul tweeted after a public meeting in Surat.

The Gandhi scion had embarked on a three-day campaign in South Gujarat on Wednesday, where the Assembly election will be held in December.