Koraput: A major fire broke out at Machkund Hydroelectric Project in Koraput district on Saturday, triggering panic inside the power generation unit and leaving four employees critically affected due to suffocation, officials said. Preliminary reports said the blaze erupted inside the turbine section of the project. “Four workers reportedly got trapped and suffered breathing difficulties after dense smoke engulfed the area. They were immediately rescued by fellow staff and emergency responders and shifted to the community health centre at Lamtaput for treatment,” an official said.“The condition of the injured workers is being closely monitored at the hospital. Rescue and firefighting operations are continuing on a war footing,” he added. The exact cause of the fire remained unclear till the filing of this report. The Machkund Hydroelectric Project is one of the major power generation facilities in southern Odisha and shares operational significance with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
