Two labourers died on the spot and three others were injured in a crane mishap at the under-construction power plant of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) at North Karanpura here on Thursday.

While labourers accused the company of violating safety norms, the NTPC denied the allegations and said a probe committee had been formed to look into the mishap.

Labourers were busy installing a channel guard in boiler No. 2 of unit 2 of the plant when the mishap happened. A crane was in action to put a 40-tonne heavy iron angle at its place. The hook of the crane, carrying this heavy angle, suddenly broke and the iron angle crashed from a height of 75 feet on labourers.

The deceased were identified as Arjun Kumar Yadav, 30, and Babulal Chaudhary, 32. Yadav hailed from Chandani village under Hussainabad block in Palamau district. Chaudhary came from Kariyadih village of Kharundhi block, Garhwa.

The three injured are Deepak Kumar of Jharpo village in Ichak block of Hazaribagh district, and Surendra Chaudhary and Ramanuj Ravi of Palamau district. The thermal power station being 78km from Ranchi, the three injured were rushed to Medanta hospital in the state capital where Surendra was said to be critical.

Tandwa police have started investigating the mishap. Families of the labourers — both deceased and injured — have been informed by the company.

Labourers alleged that the NTPC management did not follow proper safety measures. “We get low wages and are always asked to hurry. If anyone raises his voice in protest, he is forced to leave,” a labourer told The Telegraph.

Public relations officer of NTPC Gulshan Toppo denied the allegations and said security measures were being strictly followed during operations.

“Still, despite all our effortsm a mishap has taken place. A committee has been formed to probe how it happened,” Toppo said.

The NTPC’s North Karanpura thermal power project, near a coal mine, is billed to be eco-friendly.