Wardha: An accident in the furnace section of Uttam Galva Metallics Limited at Bhugaon left 38 workers with burn injuries, at around 10.20am on Wednesday. Eight of the injured have been shifted to a hospital at Nagpur for specialized treatment. The company has been acquired by US-based CarVal Investors recently for Rs2,000 crore. District guardian minister Sunil Kedar has directed the administration to investigate the incident and take strict action.
“I reached work at 8am and we were evacuating ash from blast furnace. A group of 4 workers was at each of the 16 points being evaluated. Suddenly, a steel jam failed on the hot ash, which causes burn injuries,” said Hariram Durga, a worker undergoing treatment at AVBRH, Sawangi. Durga, who belongs to Kalahandi district of Odisha, said, “Our sahab ignored that jam would fail. He sustained minor injuries on hands and face.”
Pushpendra Patel, who belongs to Satna district of Madhya Pradesh, had joined the company on February 2, 2021. He said, “I joined the work just a day before, I do not understand what happened over there. But I got stuck in the belt when I tried to flee from the spot after the accident. I was evacuated later.” His right hand and right leg were burned in the incident and he is being treated at AVBRH, Sawangi.
One more injured, Mangesh Chandankhede, said, “I saw blast of hot air and ash, and fled away from the spot. I don’t know what happened over there but around 80 workers were working there and all started rushing out.”
The statement released by the company said the furnace had been shut down on Tuesday for annual maintenance and the furnace evacuation had been completed. A sudden outflow of hot air from the furnace injured 38 workers working in that area, it said.
Out of the 38 injured, eight workers have been shifted to Orange City Hospital at Nagpur for specialized treatment, said the company, assuring that it is committed to providing the injured best medical care needed for their full recovery.
District guardian minister Sunil Kedar, who directed the district administration to take strict action against those responsible, ordered an investigation under various laws for safety of workers and provisions of Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board.
Sources said the company has been acquired by US-based CarVal Investors for Rs2,000 crore following insolvency and bankruptcy. “UK-based stressed assets management company Nithia Capital and CarVal had announced on Tuesday that they have completed the acquisition of Uttam Galva Metallics and Uttam Value Steels for a total purchase consideration of around Rs2,000 crore,” said sources. The deal was executed in January 2021, said sources.
Medical reports released by hospitals said majority of the workers have suffered between 18 to 25 per cent burns, and some of them up to 40 per cent. While 28 workers were admitted to AVBRH, Sawangi, and 10 at Kasturba Hospital, Sewagram, 8 of them were later shifted to Nagpur.