Nine workers were killed and 14 others critically injured in a gas pipeline blast and the resultant fire at Bhilai Steel Plant on Tuesday around 10.30 am, police said. About 24 staffers were at work at the time of the blast, said Durg-range Inspector General of Police GP Singh.
Following the blast, the production at the plant was halted as hundreds of workers refused to resume work complaining about poor safety measures despite several reminders by trade unions. The accident pulled down shares of SAIL.
Plant officials have termed as “a major incident” the blast at the sprawling complex of the SAIL plant which is India’s sole producer and supplier for the Indian Railways.
Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said, “I have asked for detailed information. Rescue and relief measures are underway.”
According to sources, Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai, Steel Secretary Binoy Kumar and SAIL Chairman Anil Chaudhary have also left for Bhilai.
According to the officials, SAIL has spent over Rs 18,000 crore on expansion and modernisation of the Bhilai Steel Plant in recent years that includes installation of cutting-edge technologies for improvement in productivity, yield, quality, cost competitiveness, energy efficiency and environmental protection, but it spent meager sum on safety measures.