2009 Korba chimney collapse

Workers sought shelter from the rain in a nearby store room,[3][6] and a lightning strike at approximately 16:00 brought the chimney down on top of them.

[8][9][10] Balco initially did not discuss the incident at length, stating only that "[t]here is an accident and some people are injured";[10] claiming to be too busy with the rescue effort to make a longer statement.

Later the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur observed that the materials were of substandard quality and technically faulty in design.

On 11 January 2010, as a result of these findings, three senior officials of Sepco, the Chinese company contracted to build the chimney, were arrested and are being held without bail.

[12] Later, on 18 January 2010, Katulkar rejected the bail pleas of three Chinese nationals who were contracted by SEPCO to build the power plant by BALCO.