The accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant on Monday evening, which claimed at least eight lives, is being described as the biggest industrial accident of its kind in the plant’s 34-year history.
“There has never been an incident of this magnitude in the past in which a ladle exploded spilling hot metal on the workers, killing eight workers and injuring six others, although there has been one incident in which one person was killed due to falling hot metal liquid in the past,” said K S N Rao, who previously worked in the same SMS-2 unit.
However, he said the worst ever accident at the Visakhapatnam steel plant occurred on June 14, 2012, when 19 workers, including some officers, were burnt alive after a massive explosion at the oxygen plant of the third steel smelting unit.
“Since then, a lot of safety measures have been taken at the steel plant. But this is the first time that such a large number of people have died due to hot metal spilling from the ladle,” Rao said.
“An accident could have been avoided.”
Former Chairman and Managing Director of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Y Sivasagar Rao, said that based on his experience, the accident must have occurred due to inadequate maintenance of the plant.
“I am sure that the management did not take proper safety measures at the plant. The scoop should be checked periodically before operation. There are no experienced people to operate a critical unit like SMS. It is an avoidable accident,” he said.
One of the eyewitnesses, Sandeep, a supervising technician at the steel plant, said, “I heard a strong explosion followed by a huge fire that hit the roof of the plant. We all ran away as the hot metal with flames was spreading quickly on the ground.”
Sandeep said the explosion may have occurred due to the high temperature of the ladle.
Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader V Ayodhya Ramu, who has been leading the movement against the alleged move to privatize the Visakhapatnam steel plant, alleged that “over the last two years, the management has fired thousands of contract workers, who have experience in the steel plant; they have brought in inexperienced people. They have no knowledge of the system at all.”
Another union leader, VM Naidu of the Indian National Trade Union Congress, alleged that this not only pushed the factory into decline but also contributed to such accidents.
