Five persons died and at least 40 injured in a suspected carbon monoxide gas leakage at public sector steel unit Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) here which sent panic waves in the plant on Thursday evening.
Two out of the five dead are of the executive rank, top BSP officials informed.
However, BSP’s Deputy General Manager (DGM), Public Relations, Vijay Mairal refused to confirm the deaths.
Out of around 40 injured, 12 have been admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Sector-9 in critical condition, till the latest report came in from the plant.
According to Mairal, due to breakdown in Blast Furnace Gas Cleaning Pump House Number-2 gas leakage occurred in the plant. “Immediately after the incident the workers around were evacuated and rushed to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital Sector-9,” he told The Pioneer over phone.
“A high level inquiry will be conducted into the incident,’’ Mairal said.
Immediately after the incident the affected area was evacuated, he claimed.