Bhubaneswar, July 1: Odisha Labour Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia has directed the principal secretary of his department to investigate the mishap occurred in Rourkela Steel Plant today.
The principal secretary of Labour department will investigate in the incident and submit report to government, said Labour Minister Khunitia,,
In a tragic accident at Rourkela Steel Plant in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, eight workers were critically injured due to a sudden gas leak during maintenance work at a blast furnace today at 10am. The injured have been admitted to Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela, with one reported to be in critical condition. All are receiving treatment in the ICU
Immediately, after the incident, Deputy Director and Assistant Director of Factories and Boilers, had rushed to the spot and took the stock of the situation.
Bibhu Prasad, Deputy Director of Factories and Boilers, informed that one of the injured’s conditions has improved and he was sent to his home.
The carbon monoxide leak occurred when the workers were conducting repairs at the steel plant’s blast furnace number-5.
Among the nine injured individuals, four are in the intensive care unit.
Notably, five of the injured workers are contract workers. The plant’s labor union has raised concerns about worker safety, alleging that authorities have not taken sufficient steps to prevent gas leaks despite previous incidents.
In January 2021, four workers had lost their lives due to a carbon monoxide leak in the plant’s coal chemical department.
