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The death toll from the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant explosion has risen to nine, following the death of another worker on Wednesday. A sudden severe explosion in Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Vizag Steel Plant) in Vizag killed eight workers and injured six more on June 8, followed by another worker succumbing to severe burn injuries today. "The latest casualty is identified as Pydiraju, who succumbed to burns at 8.17 am this morning," Visakhapatnam district joint collector G Vidhyadhari told PTI. She said the body was shifted to King George Hospital in the port city for post mortem. Later, Pydiraju's body was handed over to his family members. Pydiraju was one of the two workers among the six injured who suffered 90 percent burns, the joint collector added.
The Centre has announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the families of each worker killed in the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Vizag Steel Plant) accident, besides permanent employment to one family member and other support measures, according to Union Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy. A severe explosion erupted at the Steel Melt Shop-1 of the plant during casting operations involving molten steel on Monday evening, killing eight workers and injuring six others. The blast triggered a massive fire. RINL authorities have launched investigations into the cause of the accident. "We will provide Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to the family of each deceased employee, whether regular or outsourced. One member of every affected family will be given permanent employment and children will be provided free education," Kumaraswamy said, addressing a press conference late on Monday. Kumaraswamy, accompanied by Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, Vizag MP M Sribharat and Andhra Pradesh Home Minis
At least six workers of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Vizag Steel Plant) were killed here on Monday after molten iron spilt on them, officials said. According to the information shared with Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav by Visakhapatnam district health officials, till 6.30 pm on Monday, the dead bodies of four people out of the six dead have reached the steel plant's general hospital. "A total of six casualties reported to the steel plant's general hospital," an official press release said. Earlier, an official said five bodies have been recovered so far, indicating that the toll could rise. "We are undertaking rescue operations. So far, five bodies have been recovered," the official told PTI. However, an official press release from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's office said multiple workers were killed in the industrial accident without giving the number of casualties. Naidu expressed deep anguish over the deaths. He directed that all departments should wor
IT services major Infosys has announced plans to set up a permanent, 20-acre campus in Visakhapatnam, signalling confidence in the region's economic and technological potential. The facility is designed to accommodate 7,000 professionals. Over the last two years, Infosys' growth in the city has scaled in the port city from 250 employees to 1,900, with an additional 750 seats set to become operational in the near-term, said an official press release on Thursday. "The company has outlined plans for a permanent 20-acre campus with a long-term seating capacity of 7,000 professionals - demonstrating strong confidence in the region's long-term potential," said the release. A defining feature of the IT services company's growth is its deep integration with the local talent ecosystem, it said. The Visakhapatnam campus has recruited over 1,000 freshers and 500 lateral hires from the region, reflecting the availability of industry-ready talent and the success of Andhra Pradesh's focused ...
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday highlighted India's growing digital strength and said Visakhapatnam will emerge as an artificial intelligence hub with the upcoming USD 15 billion Google AI data centre. Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the Google Cloud India AI data centre at Tarluvada in Visakhapatnam, he said the initiative marks a major step in strengthening India's AI-driven digital infrastructure. "India's growing digital strength is evident, and with the upcoming USD 15 billion Google AI data centre, Visakhapatnam is set to emerge as a major AI hub," he said. Stating that Visakhapatnam will transform into an AI city, the union minister lauded the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. He noted that artificial intelligence is driving transformation across sectors, including education, healthcare, aerospace, logistics and agriculture, with major services expected through the AI hub. Vaishnaw, who is
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday laid the foundation for USD 15 billion Google Artificial Intelligence data centre near Visakhapatnam. The 1 GW capacity data centre will emerge as a major step in India's digital infrastructure growth. It is expected to be one of the largest AI data centres in the country and will provide advanced AI cloud infrastructure and large-scale data storage capabilities, an official release earlier said. The facility will be established across 600 acres in Tarluvada, Adavivaram and Rambilli villages, with other private partners, aiming to build a larger multi-gigawatt digital ecosystem in the state. The state government has outlined a long-term vision to develop a multi-gigawatt digital ecosystem with a total capacity of around 6.5 gigawatts, positioning Andhra Pradesh as a major data hub.
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said that the Indian Navy is vigilant in safeguarding country's maritime interests and is contributing to stability across wider maritime commerce. Presiding over the International Fleet Review (IFR) off Vizag coast abroad an Indian Naval warship in the Bay of Bengal, the President said the Indian Navy is deployed in the region to serve as a credible instrument of deterrence and defence against threats and challenges arising in the sea. "Indian Navy is vigilant in safeguarding India's maritime interests and is contributing to stability across wider maritime commerce," Murmu said. Further, she noted that the Indian Navy plays a vital role in promoting goodwill and building bridges of trust, confidence and friendship with navies around the globe. Murmu addressed the IFR after she sailed to review several Indian and foreign vessels.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has commissioned a residue upgradation facility (RUF) at its Visakhapatnam refinery, significantly enhancing the plant's deep-conversion capability, distillate output and profitability, the company said on Monday. The 3.55 million tonnes-per-year facility includes India's first residue hydrocracking unit and the world's first LC-Max unit, capable of converting about 93 per cent of low-value bottom-of-the-barrel oils into high-value petroleum products. The project marks a major step in upgrading India's refining complexity and reducing dependence on imported fuels. HPCL in a statement said the new unit will raise distillate yields at the Visakh refinery by up to 10 per cent from pre-modernisation levels, and substantially improve gross refining margins by enabling the processing of heavier and opportunity crudes and delivering a superior product slate. The commissioning follows the Visakh Refinery Modernisation Project and lifts the refiner
A Visakhapatnam-bound Air India Express flight was cancelled at the Gannavaram Airport on December 18 night due to a technical snag detected before take-off, an airport official said. Among the passengers were high-profile figures, including former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister K Atchennaidu and senior YSRCP leader B Satyanarayana. "While taxiing, they detected an engine problem, so they (aircraft) returned to the bay and the flight was cancelled," Vijayawada airport director Lakshmikanth Reddy told PTI late on Thursday. According to Reddy, the aircraft suffered a technical snag around 8:30 pm on Thursday. Meanwhile, an Air India Express spokesperson said the engine-related problem was identified prior to the departure. In the interest of safety, our Vijayawada - Visakhapatnam flight returned to the ramp after the pilot identified a technical issue prior to departure. The flight was subsequently cancelled, the spokesperson said on ...
The Indian Navy will commission 'Androth', the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard here on October 6. The commissioning ceremony will be presided over by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command (ENC). "The Indian Navy is set to commission 'Androth', the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam," said an official release from the Eastern Naval Command on Sunday. "The commissioning of Androth marks yet another milestone in the Navy's steady stride towards capability enhancement and indigenisation," it said. Built by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Androth has over 80 per cent indigenous content, reflecting India's growing maritime self-reliance and commitment to innovative home-grown technologies. The ship's induction is expected to significantly bolster the Navy's ASW capabilities, particularly in ...
In a first-ever municipal funding, the International Finance Corporation, a World Bank Group arm, has announced a commitment of up to USD 60 million (about Rs 498 crore) in rupee-denominated non-convertible debentures of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation to transform sanitation infrastructure. To this effect, a formal agreement was signed on Monday at the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat between the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), marking a path-breaking development in India's municipal finance landscape. This is the first-ever direct municipal financing by IFC in India, and also the first instance of a development finance institution extending investment to an Indian city without a sovereign guarantee, a joint statement said. The development signals a new era of municipal creditworthiness, showcasing how financially disciplined and progressive urban local bodies (ULBs) can attract global capital for critical ..
Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary K Vijayanand on Thursday directed officials to speed up transmission projects worth over Rs 12,000 crore aimed at strengthening the power grid and ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply across the state. As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen the transmission network and ensure reliable electricity supply, the Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (APTRANSCO) is executing projects that include seven commissioned works worth over Rs 155 crore and 62 ongoing project works valued at nearly Rs 8,000 crore. Similarly, five newly awarded projects worth nearly Rs 363 crore, and 31 upcoming works estimated at around Rs 3,500 crore are being executed. "To strengthen the power transmission network in order to meet the rising electricity demand and ensure reliable and uninterrupted power supply to all categories of consumers, APTRANSCO is undertaking transmission projects worth over Rs 12,000 crore," said Vijayanand in an official release. He ...