Probe ordered in Vizag Steel plant blast

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy expressed "shock and anguish" over the incident and directed the authorities concerned to conduct an inquiry and submit a report immediately.

The joint chief inspector of factories will conduct the inquiry while the Director of Factories is also rushing to Visakhapatnam to take stock of the situation, according to Information and Public Relations Commissioner R V Chandravadan.

"A committee is also being constituted to examine and probe into the incident which resulted in the death of 11 persons and left eight injured," the Commissioner added.

The Chief Minister is visiting Visakhapatnam this evening to meet those injured in the blast. Leader of Opposition and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu too expressed grief over the major accident in Vizag Steel Plant. He is also visiting the port city to meet those injured.

The government should take steps to ensure all safety standards were followed in major industrial units. There should be regular supervision by the authorities concerned in this regard, he added.

The explosion occurred last night at the oxygen control unit near the Steel Melting Shop at the plant of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) in Vishakhapatnam.