Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each for the next of relatives of those killed in the explosion at the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) plant in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh.

For now, the death toll in the disastrous incident has climbed to 26.

The principal secretary (Home), Arvind Kumar, as updating this, added that scores of others injured in the accident were being as expected taken care of.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has also reached the district to take a glance of the situation. He met the families of the dead and visited to the injured admitted in the district hospital.

The incident has happened on Wednesday when the ash-pipe exploded due to pressure at the NTPC plant in Unchahar region

Hours after the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the relatives of the dead, Rs. 50,000 for critically wounded and Rs. 25,000 for those with minor injuries.