Bhushan Steel mishap: State asks dist admn to collect info on workers

Mishap took place while commissioning blast furnace at Meramandali plant near Angul that left one dead and few others injured

The state government has asked the Dhenkanal district administration to collect information on the actual number of labourers working at the time of the deadly explosion at Bhushan Steel Ltd's (BSL) plant on Wednesday.

The mishap took place while commissioning of the blast furnace-2 at the company's Meramandali plant near Angul that left one dead and few others injured.

"The district collector and superintendent of police have been asked to get the details from the contractors on the actual number of labourers who went inside the factory on the particular day and the muster rolls”, said Bijayshree Routray, state labour minister.

Doubts still persist over the exact number of casualties though the government officials have confirmed the death of one person only.

Regretting his statement to the media on Friday where Routray seemed to pass the buck on the chief minister and chief secretary, the minister clarified there was no intention behind the statement.

Meanwhile, an expert team from the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) is inspecting the Blast furnace-1 and 2 and to find out the reasons of the blast. The team will also report the lacunas, if any, in the blast furnace-1.

Recurring mishaps at BSL's steel plant had raised questions on the safety measures taken up by the company.

Routray had admitted that the department has failed to take action against the company in spite of the rising number of accidents in the plant premises.

The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has decided to file a case against BSL for commissioning the second blast furnace.

On Thursday, three top company officials namely Atulya Kumar Verma, chief operating officer, Naveen Tyagi, shift- in-charge and Meghpal Singh, president, steel making were arrested.