A mishap at Andhra Pradesh’s Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) in Vishakhapatnam left several people dead, and several others injured on Monday.
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While trade union leaders reportedly claimed to have recovered nine bodies, the RINL management has not yet issued an official statement confirming the death toll. According to information shared with health minister Satya Kumar Yadav by Visakhapatnam district health officials, the bodies of four deceased have reached the steel plant’s general hospital, PTI news agency reported.
As rescue and assessment operations are underway, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the incident. “He spoke to the steel plant authorities and enquired about the incident. He asked the district authorities to rush to the spot and take up rescue operations,” an official statement said.
What do we know about the mishap?
A large quantity of molten iron fell on the workers at the plant, leaving several dead and others injured. The incident took place at around 4.30pm in the plant’s Continuous Casting Department (CCD) under the Steel Melting Shop (SMS) section, a local trade union leader said requesting anonymity, according to an earlier HT report.
According to the police, molten iron was spilt while being moved in a bucket by a crane. Police said the molten iron was extremely hot at about 1,600 degrees Celsius.
“A ladle carrying molten steel suddenly malfunctioned, causing a large quantity of liquid metal to spill. The intense heat and resulting fire trapped workers in the vicinity, leading to multiple casualties,” a trade union leader said.
Meanwhile, another eyewitness account suggested that the mishap occurred during operations related to NTC-3 Heat F, wherein a substantial quantity of molten steel leaked while being lifted, causing a massive blaze.
