In the worst-ever accident in the history of the Visakhapatnam Steel
Plant (VSP), at least nine employees, some of them senior officers, were
killed when an oxygen tank in the steel melt shop-II exploded on
Wednesday.
Five of the injured with 90 per cent burns, along with four others, were
rushed to various hospitals in the city. The toll is likely to mount.
VSP General Manager (Projects) D.S. Khalsi is among the seriously
injured.
“The bodies were burnt beyond recognition,” INTUC leader Mantri
Rajasekhar said. The employees of VSP and M.N. Dastur and Co., the
consultant for VSP's expansion programme, were on duty. One of the
deceased was said to be of the rank of Deputy General Manager. There was
confusion over the number of dead with Gajuwaka MLA Ch. Venkataramaiah,
quoting union sources, putting the toll at 15 and Collector Lav Agarwal
confirming the death of nine. The incident took place when gas from the
newly-commissioned converter backfired. Union leaders said over 20
workers and officers were believed to have been on duty at the time of
the accident, which occurred at about 8.30 p.m. “We saw six bodies on
the spot and four more in the casualty wing of the Visakha Ukku
Hospital,” they said.
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