Six killed in gas leakage at Bhilai Steel Plant

Six persons, including two Deputy General Managers, were killed and over 30 people fell ill when poisonous gas leaked in Steel Authority of India's Bhilai Plant in Durg district of Chhattisgarh today.

Gas leakage from blast furnace-GCP occurred at around 6.10 PM due to breakdown in a water pump, affecting people working nearby in the plant premises, a statement issued by SAIl said.

Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) Pradeep Gupta said six persons, including two DGMs, were killed and 30 others injured in the incident.

The injured included CISF personnel, workers and officials of the public sector plant, he said.

All the affected persons have been taken to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Bhilai and the seriously ill have been admitted to ICU, Gupta said.

"We are deeply pained to learn that six employees have lost their lives," the statement issued by SAIl said late tonight.

"As per preliminary information, the main header of Pump House No 2 which supplies water to the Gas Cleaning Plants (GCP) of blast furnaces suddenly ruptured at around 6:10 PM. This resulted in sudden loss in water pressure to the GCPs and the blast furnace gas from the scrubbers entered the water pipeline affecting the people attending the breakdown in the pump house and in the nearby area," the SAIl statement said.

"Plant Management is providing all possible care and support and efforts are on for an early liquidation from the breakdown," it said.

A high-level inquiry would be conducted to ascertain the cause of the breakdown and the management will extend all the support to the gas-affected persons, the statement added.

Chief Minister Raman Singh expressed grief over the incident and said best medical care will be provided to those affected in the incident.