The death toll in Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) fire climbed to 11, with at least two more are in very critical condition. This is the second fatal accident in the plant in four years.
According to a PIB release, issued late this afternoon, the Union steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh who visited the plant this morning, announced compensation worth Rs 30 lakh each to the families of the dead and Rs 15 lakh for the seriously injured.
This is over and above the statutory compensation of Rs 33 to 90 lakh payable to the families of the deceased. The minister also directed SAIL to provide employment to the next of the keen of the demised employees and free education upto graduation level.
“Steel ministry is in the process of setting up an external committee of experts” to probe the incident, the release said.
Removal of CEO
The PIB release says that the CEO of BSP M Ravi has been divested of his duties and two senior officials (general managers of energy and safety department) were suspended.
Interestingly, the development was not announced by SAIL, indicating that the decisions were taken directly by the ministry.
Eyewitness in Bhilai say, during his visit to BSP hospital the Singh remarked that the CEO be removed. Later he told the local media about the decision.
Sources say SAIL corporate office in Delhi was in the dark about developments in BSP, till the PIB release was issued. “It appears to be a case where the ministry practically took the administrative charge of SAIL,” a source told BusinessLine
Background
At least nine persons are killed and 14 injured in a fatal fire in Bhillai Steel Plant (BSP) of SAIL on Tuesday, according to a company release. The death toll may rise as many are critically injured sustaining very high degree of burn injury.
Unofficial estimates available from the plant sources suggest 14 are dead. Sources say, all the victims are regular SAIL employees mostly from energy and fire department.
This is the second major disaster in BSP in four years. In 2014, six persons died – including two senior officials – and over 30 were injured, in a gas leak.
“There was a fire in gas pipe line of Coke Oven Battery Complex No 11 during a scheduled maintenance job,” SAIL said on Tuesday. The accident took place at 10-30 in the morning.
There is not much information about the reasons behind the accident. Eyewitness accounts suggest there were two consecutive blasts.
The coke oven area is always susceptible to fire as it deals with inflammables. Apparently, the maintenance was carried out while the plant was in operation. As is anticipated by sources outside SAIL, the safety precautions were breached during some wielding job which triggered the fire.
SAIL ensured treatment of the injured at the Bhillai Steel Plant (BSP) hospital. The fire is also controlled.
Located in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, Bhillai produces long variety of steel products. This includes rails and structurals.