Visakhapatnam: The death toll from the June 8 accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has increased to 10 after another worker succumbed to injuries sustained in the incident.
G. Suribabu, a contract worker, died on Saturday at MGM Seven Hills Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment.
The accident took place on June 8 at the SMS-1 unit of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, when a ladle carrying molten steel exploded. Following the explosion, molten steel leaked from the ladle, which was carrying steel at an extremely high temperature of around 1,500 degrees Celsius.
Eight workers were killed in the accident, while six others sustained injuries. Before Suribabu, another injured worker, Kandula Paidiraju, died on June 10.
Two injured workers have since been discharged from the hospital, while two others remain under treatment and are reported to be in stable condition.
After inspecting the accident site on June 9, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the workers who lost their lives, along with a job at the plant for one family member of each victim.
He also announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each for workers who suffered serious injuries and are undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Pawan Kalyan further stated that Rs 1.72 crore would be provided to permanent employees under retirement benefits, while Rs 45.75 lakh would be given to contract employees. He added that the plant management would bear the entire cost of treatment for the injured workers.
Meanwhile, Gajuwaka MLA and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) state President Palla Srinivasa Rao expressed deep condolences over the death of Suribabu.
After receiving information about the incident, Rao rushed to the hospital, paid his last respects to the deceased and consoled the bereaved family members. He assured them that the government would provide all possible support during the difficult period.
Rao also spoke with officials concerned and supervised arrangements to ensure that all official procedures, including the post-mortem examination, were completed without delay.
He said steps would be taken to ensure that the compensation and other assistance due to the victim’s family from both the government and the plant management are provided at the earliest.
Stressing that worker welfare and safety remain a top priority for the government, Rao urged the plant management to remain more vigilant and strengthen safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
A three-member external expert committee headed by the Director-in-Charge of Bokaro Steel Plant is investigating the accident to determine its cause.
Meanwhile, RINL management has reportedly suspended 22 employees pending an inquiry. The suspended employees include personnel from the Steel Melt Shop, Material Management and Quality Assurance departments.
With IANS inputs