Eight Feared Dead in Blast at Vizag Steel Plant
At least eight workers are feared dead, and six others sustained serious burn injuries after a ladle carrying molten steel exploded at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)-run Visakhapatnam Steel Plant on Monday evening, triggering a massive fire and a major rescue operation.
The accident occurred at around 4.40 pm at Machine-2 of the Continuous Casting Department (CCD) in Steel Melting Shop-1 (SMS-1). Plant sources said the accident occurred when a ladle carrying molten steel exploded, spilling hundreds of tonnes of the superheated metal across the shop floor.
Flames and thick smoke quickly engulfed the area, trapping several workers inside the unit. Fire tenders and rescue teams from the steel plant and government departments rushed to the spot and continued rescue operations late into the evening.
Preliminary reports indicated that eight workers may have lost their lives, though officials had not officially confirmed the death toll till late evening. Six workers sustained severe burn injuries and were shifted to corporate hospitals, including KIMS and Seven Hills Hospital, for treatment.
The injured were identified as R. Mallikharjuna Rao, P. Srinivasa Rao, A. Appa Rao, Satyanarayana, G. Suribabu and Paidiraju. The bodies of the deceased were shifted to King George Hospital (KGH) for postmortem examination.
Police officials said the molten metal involved in the accident was at a temperature of nearly 1,600 degrees Celsius, complicating rescue efforts.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock and grief over the tragedy and reviewed the situation with senior district and plant officials. He directed authorities to ensure effective coordination among all departments, expedite rescue operations and provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, who was on an official tour in neighbouring Vizianagaram district, immediately rushed to Visakhapatnam after learning of the accident. She spoke to senior officials en route and instructed them to accelerate rescue and relief measures.
District In-charge Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy and Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu expressed grief over the incident and directed officials to provide all necessary assistance to the victims and their families.
Former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy condoled the deaths and demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the accident. He called for stringent action against those responsible and stressed the need for strict industrial safety measures to prevent such tragedies. He also asked party leaders and workers in Visakhapatnam to extend support to the affected families.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation. Authorities are expected to order a detailed probe into what is being described as one of the most serious industrial accidents at the steel plant in recent years.