NIT Durgapur Professor Dies After Suffering Severe Burns in Lab Accident

By A Staff Reporter

Professor Indrajit Basak, 64, of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Durgapur, passed away on Monday morning at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi. He had been battling critical injuries sustained in a lab-related accident that occurred during a research session last week.

Basak, a senior professor in the mechanical engineering department, was conducting thermite welding experiments outdoors along with some final-year students when a freak explosion took place. The explosion reportedly occurred after a chemical unexpectedly spilled from a container, splashing onto the professor and his students.

The incident left Professor Basak with burns covering nearly 80 percent of his body, including his face. He was initially treated at a private hospital in Durgapur, but due to the severity of his injuries, he was later airlifted to Delhi for advanced medical care.

Despite the efforts of doctors, Basak succumbed to a fatal heart attack at around 7:30 a.m., according to hospital sources.

One of his students, Akash Majhi from Asansol, also sustained burn injuries in the incident but has since been discharged and is recovering at home.