Landfill dam in central India collapses, leaving several dead

A landfill dam at a coal power plant in central India collapsed, leaving two dead and four more missing, in a shocking disaster.

The incident occurred at the Singrauli district of Maharashtra state on April 10, when the Reliance Power's Ultra Mega Power Project's (UMPP) fly ash dam collapsed.

Fly ash dams are built to hold toxic ash buildup from the burning of coal fuel.

The flood of the toxic ash slurry from the collapsed dam located in adjoining Harhawa village washed away six persons, including three children, a woman and two men living in the adjoining villages.

According to Singrauli district collector, so far two bodies, identified as eight-year-old Abhishek Shah and 35-year-old Dinesh Kumar have been retrieved from the ash slurry, which flowed into a channel to the Rihand Dam around seven kilometres away.

Four more persons, including Abhishek's nine-year-old sister Sima Kumari, their 27-year-old mother Chunkumari Shah, deceased Dinesh Kumar's three-year-old son Ankit and 28-year-old Razzad Ali are missing and feared dead, the Singrauli collector added.

Two women Keshpati Shah (28) and Reena Kumari (26) who were injured in the incident are stated stable at the hospital.