The toll in the massive explosion that ripped up a boiler at NTPC's Unchahar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli district on Wednesday has risen to 32, the state-run power giant said today. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Union minister of state for power R K Singh visited the accident site.

The NTPC has initiated a probe to ascertain the reasons behind the blast.

In a statement, the National Thermal Power Corporation has said that at unit number six of its Unchahar plant, there was a sudden abnormal sound at 20-meter elevation around 3:30 on Wednesday afternoon.

There was an opening in corner number two from which gas and steam 'escaped' affecting the people working around the area, the central public sector undertaking said.

It added that around 80 people were rushed to the NTPC Hospital, most of whom were discharged after first-aid.

The 1,550-MW plant supplies electricity to nine states, according to officials, and employs around 870 people.

Meanwhile, the state administration has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that he was 'deeply pained' by the accident at the power plant. Modi approved ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of those killed.

The Union power minister also announced an ex gratia amount of Rs 20 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 10 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs 2 lakh to the other injured over and above the statutory compensation, it said.

Image: An injured man being taken to hospital after the boiler blast at the NTPC plant.