9 killed in Telangana hydel power plant fire

Nine people, including a woman engineer, died and eight others injured when a fire broke out in the 900 mw Srisailam Left Bank Hydel Power Station (SLBHP) in Telangana. Though the fire began on Thursday last, the bodies trapped inside were retrieved from the underground power plant of the Telangana State Power Generation Corporation (TSGenco) - located about 220km from Hyderabad - only on Friday afternoon. Engulfed in thick smoke, some of the trapped engineers inside the power station bid their final goodbyes to their families. While some called their family members, some others made videos showing how they were trying to put out the fire. Seven of the nine dead are TSGenco employees. Officials supervising rescue operations said the fire could have been sparked by a short circuit in one of the electric panels of the power house and then spread to other parts. Sources added that loud blasts were heard even as the flames began spreading.