The industrial sector of the country has again suffered a major shock. A devastating explosion and fire broke out at the famous Visakhapatnam or Vizag steel plant run by Andhra Pradesh public sector undertaking Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) on Monday afternoon. At least eight workers were burned alive inside the factory when a huge pot or ladle filled with liquid iron boiling at around 1,600 degrees Celsius collapsed.
Many more workers were trapped inside the factory and at least six workers suffered burns. They are currently battling death in the hospital. According to factory and police sources, the horrific tragedy occurred at exactly 4.40 am on Monday when production was in full swing inside the steel melting shop and continuous casting section of the plant.
Witnesses and some labor union leaders said a crane was being used to lift the multi-ton vessel filled with boiling liquid iron. At the same time, due to a sudden mechanical failure, the container burst and fell to the ground. Within moments, the 1,600°C steel boiling inside the pot spilled like volcanic lava onto the surrounding floor and workers. The intense heat and fire of the molten iron made the whole place like an inferno and the workers had no chance to escape. Many people were trapped inside as the entire floor was engulfed in smoke and flames. More than a dozen factory security personnel and fire trucks worked during the war to control fires and rescue trapped workers.
Trade union leaders claimed that eight to nine charred bodies have already been recovered from the spot. However, the steel plant authorities are yet to issue an official statement or the exact death toll. According to preliminary information from state health officials, four bodies have been sent to the plant’s general hospital and the rest to King George Hospital for post-mortem. Six workers, R Mallikarjuna Rao, P Srinivas Rao, A Appa Rao, B Satyananda, Suri Babu and Padiraju were seriously injured in the incident. As their condition is critical, they have been admitted to a major corporate hospital in Visakhapatnam. Factory workers’ organization CITU has demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident and compensation of Tk 5 crore to the families of the victims.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over this accident. He sent his condolences to the bereaved family through his official former handle and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Also, financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the treatment of the injured has been announced from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the Deputy Commissioner and Police Commissioner to directly supervise the rescue operation. State Home Minister Bangalapuri Anita also cut short her visit to the accident site. Meanwhile, former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also expressed grief over the incident and demanded a safety audit of the plant and strict action against the culprits. The incident reminds us of the devastating explosion at the oxygen plant in June 2012, which killed 16 workers.