A major fire broke out at the Machkund Hydroelectric Project located on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border near here on Saturday (May 23, 2026). Thick plumes of dense smoke billowed from deep inside the generation unit, triggering panic among the plant employees and residents of nearby areas.

According to officials, at least four employees were safely rescued from inside the facility as smoke quickly engulfed the underground chambers and turbine areas. The officials preliminarily identified a technical malfunction as the primary reason behind the incident.

Upon receiving the alert, fire tenders and emergency response teams from nearby stations rushed to the spot.

While the exact cause of the blaze has yet to be officially confirmed, technical teams suspect it may be due to an electrical short circuit or a sudden technical malfunction in one of the turbine panel boards, similar to previous operational mishaps at the aging facility.

The Machkund Hydroelectric Project is a vital 120 MW inter-state joint venture operated between the governments of Andhra Pradesh (APGENCO) and Odisha on the Machkund River near the Duduma Falls. The electricity generated here is a crucial power source for several regions, including Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, as well as Koraput and Jeypore in Odisha.