*BALCO tragedy: Nitish announces Rs. 1 lakh compensation *
Shoumojit Banerjee
The Hindu, 27 September 2009

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday announced a
compensation package of Rs. 1 lakh for the families of 17 workers, hailing
from the State, who were killed when a chimney at an under-construction
thermal power plant of the Bharat Aluminium Company Limited caved in at
Korba, 220 km north-east of Raipur on Wednesday.

According to reports, the death toll has mounted to more than 40 as
Chhattisgarh authorities continued rescue operations and search for bodies
under the debris.

Of the 17 workers, 11 were from Chhapra and 6 from Siwan district,
authorities said. The bodies of the workers are yet to be sent to Bihar.
Official sent to Chhattisgarh

The Bihar administration has also dispatched a senior official from the
Labour Department to Chhattisgarh to probe the accident.


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