Six persons, including two Deputy General Managers, were killed and 35 others were affected after a poisonous gas leaked at Steel Authority of India’s Bhilai Plant in Durg district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday.
Steel Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has sought a report on the mishap and is likely to visit Bhilai on Friday. Sources said that carbon monoxide gas leaked through pipes when some work was being taken up in a blast furnace.
Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) Pradeep Gupta said six persons, including two DGMs, were killed in the incident. The injured included CISF personnel, workers and officials of the public sector plant, he said.
All the affected persons have been taken to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Bhilai and the seriously ill have been admitted to ICU, Gupta said.
“We are deeply pained to learn that six employees have lost their lives,” the statement issued by SAIL said.
“As per preliminary information, the main header of Pump House No 2 which supplies water to the Gas Cleaning Plants (GCP) of blast furnaces suddenly ruptured at around 6.10 PM.
“This resulted in sudden loss in water pressure to the GCPs and the blast furnace gas from the scrubbers entered the water pipeline affecting the people attending the breakdown in the pump house and in the nearby area,” the SAIL statement said.
“Plant Management is providing all possible care and support and efforts are on for an early liquidation from the breakdown,” it said.
The Principal Secretary to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh told CNN-IBN that those affected were getting medical treatment and the situation has been brought under control.
Rajesh Agrawal, General Secretary of Shramic Manch Union, said, “There was a gas leak after a pipe burst at one of the furnaces. We blame the management for the incident, they are cutting costs by compromising on safety. Workers also don’t habitually wear gas masks like they should.”
Vijay Mehral, Chief of communication at Bhilai steel plant, said, “All the people were brought to the hospital immediately and admitted to the ICU. There will be a high level probe into this. We will provide all help to those who are affected.”
-IBN
