Shocking 8 Dead: Expert Panel Probes Visakhapatnam Blast
Visakhapatnam: A three-member external expert committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Steel visited the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) on Tuesday to investigate the tragic Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Blast that claimed eight lives and left six workers injured.
The high-level panel, headed by Priya Ranjan, Director-in-Charge of SAIL’s Bokaro Steel Plant, inspected the accident site at Caster-2 of the Steel Melt Shop-1 (SMS-1) to determine the exact cause of the technical failure. The committee also includes senior technical and safety experts Jitendra Kumar and former Chief General Manager Gopal Singh.
The investigation follows a devastating explosion that occurred around 4:15 p.m. on Monday during routine casting operations. According to preliminary findings, workers were preparing to transfer molten crude steel heated to more than 1,500 degrees Celsius from a ladle to a tundish when a powerful blast erupted moments before the slide gate was opened.
The explosion generated a massive fireball that quickly engulfed Overhead Crane-2, trapping workers operating nearby. The incident has raised serious concerns regarding industrial safety and operational procedures at the steel plant.
The deceased have been identified as permanent employees G.V. Appa Rao, Prabhakar, Bhanu Kumar, Krishna Nag and Gold Kumar, along with contract workers Trinadh, Appalaraju and Ramana.
Six injured workers are currently undergoing treatment at KIMS Hospital in Sheelanagar. Hospital sources said that two of the injured remain in critical condition.
Apart from the Union Ministry’s probe, RINL has initiated an internal technical inquiry to examine the process failure that led to the accident. The expert committee is expected to interact with the plant management, engineers and workers’ union representatives before submitting its final report and recommendations to the Central Government.
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy, along with Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, visited the blast site and met the injured workers. The ministers reviewed the situation and assured all possible support to the affected families.
Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma announced compensation for the victims’ families. According to him, the total compensation package, including insurance and terminal company benefits, will amount to approximately ₹1.72 crore for permanent employees. Families of temporary workers are expected to receive compensation ranging between ₹40 lakh and ₹45 lakh.
The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Blast is one of the deadliest industrial accidents reported in recent years at the facility. Authorities are now focusing on identifying the exact cause of the explosion and implementing measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Further details are expected after the expert committee completes its investigation and submits its findings to the Union Ministry of Steel.
