The death toll in the blast at a Visakhapatnam steel plant rose to 10 on Saturday after another contract worker succumbed to his injuries, even as the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) administration suspended 22 officials in multiple departments, holding them responsible for the incident, people familiar with the matter said.
The accident occurred at the RINL plant in Visakhapatnam on June 8 when molten steel leaked in one of the units, killing eight workers on the spot and seriously injuring six others. On June 10, one of the infected workers, K., died. Bedi Raju, while undergoing treatment.
According to a RINL official, Gokevada Suribababu, AGE, a contract worker from Sithanagaram in Pedagantiyada, Visakhapatnam, who sustained 95% burn injuries, died while undergoing treatment at Seven Hills Hospital on Saturday afternoon.
“Suribabu’s body has been taken to King George Hospital for post-mortem examination. Later, the body will be handed over to the family members,” the official said.
With Suribabu’s death, the total number of deaths resulting from the accident reaches 10 people.
A RINL official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the management, after a preliminary investigation conducted over the past two days, suspended 22 officials on Friday, holding them responsible for the incident.
According to the official, 10 employees from SMS-1 and SMS-2 (Steel Melting Shop) units, five officials from the Materials Management Department and seven employees from the Quality Assurance and Testing Department (QATD) have been suspended.
“The officers are in the ranks of Deputy Director General, Assistant Director General and Senior Director. Further action against the additional officials is also being considered,” the official said.
Earlier on Thursday, the RINL management transferred seven officials, including three general directors and four deputy general directors, in connection with the explosion.
The official said that senior management conducted inspections of ladles used to transport molten steel and checked operations in the central warehouse department. During inspections, officials reportedly discovered the use of substandard iron alloys and other materials, raising serious questions about quality control mechanisms within the factory.
“In SMS units, ferroalloys and other metal additives are mixed with hot metal during the steelmaking process. Ensuring the quality of these materials is the responsibility of quality control officials. However, investigations have revealed the use of lower quality materials,” the official said.
Trade union leaders called for a comprehensive investigation into systemic failures and the implementation of corrective measures to prevent future incidents, instead of “washing their hands” by suspending a few responsible people.
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) leader Dr. Adinarayana said while key persons, including the General Manager (Works) and Director (Commercial), who were responsible for procurement and use of substandard materials, were let out, those who were not directly connected with the incident were suspended.
Another union leader, who declined to be named, said issues related to the quality of ferroalloys had arisen in the past as well.
“About two years ago, while reviewing the techno-economic standards, it was noted that the specific consumption of ferroalloys was very high compared to the standards,” he said.
He said that poor quality raw materials only increase consumption per ton of steel and raise production costs, but do not cause explosions or leaks.
He added, “It is operational practices that lead to such incidents.”
He called for senior management to be held accountable for procedural violations and deviations from established rules.
“Sometimes safety standards are overlooked due to external pressures, or short-term production goals,” the union leader said.
