Visakhapatnam Steel Plant explosion death toll rises to 10

Visakhapatnam: The death toll in the June 8 accident at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant rose to 10 with another worker succumbing to his injuries.

G. Suribabu, a contract worker, breathed his last on Saturday at MGM Seven Hills Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment.

The accident occurred on June 8 when a ladle carrying molten steel exploded at the SMS-1 unit of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. The molten steel leaked after the explosion of the ladle, carrying steel at a very high temperature of about 1,500 degrees Celsius.

Eight workers died in the incident, and six others were injured. Before Suribabu, another worker, Kandula Paidiraju, succumbed to injuries on June 10.

Two injured workers have since been discharged from hospital, while two others continue to undergo treatment and are reported to be stable.

After visiting the accident site on June 9, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan had announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the family of every worker who lost their lives in the accident, along with a job in the plant to one of the family members. He also announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the workers who are seriously injured and receiving treatment in the ICU.

Pawan Kalyan also revealed that Rs 1.72 crore will be provided to the permanent employees under retirement benefits, and Rs 45.75 lakh to contract employees, and that the plant management will fully bear all expenses for the treatment of the injured.

Meanwhile, Gajuwaka MLA and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) state President Palla Srinivasa Rao expressed deep condolences over the demise of Suribabu.

Upon learning about the incident, Rao immediately rushed to the hospital, paid his last respects to the deceased, and consoled the bereaved family members. He assured them that the government would extend all possible support during this difficult time.

He personally spoke with the concerned officials and supervised the process to ensure that all official formalities, including the post-mortem examination, were completed without delay.

Rao stated that necessary steps would be taken to ensure that the compensation and other assistance due to the victim’s family from both the government and the plant management are provided at the earliest.

Emphasising that the government attaches the highest priority to the welfare and safety of workers, he urged the management to remain more vigilant and strengthen safety measures to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.

A three-member external expert committee headed by the Director-in-Charge of Bokaro Steel Plant is conducting an inquiry into the accident to ascertain its cause.

Meanwhile, RINL management has reportedly placed 22 employees under suspension pending investigation. The suspended personnel include employees from the Steel Melt Shop, Material Management and Quality Assurance departments.

IANS