Visakhapatnam (AP): The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday ordered an inquiry in the explosion at the state-owned steel plant here which claimed 11 lives and left eight others critically injured including GM V Kalsi.
The explosion occurred at the oxygen control unit near the Steel Melting Shop-II at the plant of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) last night.
Expressing anguish over the incident, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy directed the authorities concerned to conduct an inquiry under the Factories Act and submit a report immediately.
The joint chief inspector of factories will conduct the inquiry while the Director of Factories will also take stock of the situation, according to Information and Public Relations Commissioner R V Chandravadan.
“A committee is also being constituted to examine and probe the incident which resulted in the death of 11 persons and left eight injured,” the Commissioner said. Speaking to PTI after visiting the blast site, District Collector Lav Agarwal said the condition of some of the injured, who received 90 per cent burns in the blaze caused after the explosion is, critical.
Among the critically injured are Visakhapatnam Steel Plant General Manager (Projects) D Kalsi, Assistant General Managers LAS Rao, Ranjan Bhattacharya and MBRS Sarma, Senior Manager K Srinivasa Rao and three foremen who are battling for life at a corporate hospital here.
“The work was in progress at oxygen limiting well located in a concrete building where six employees of the plant were engaged for the job. (PTI)
