Bhubaneswar: At least 19 persons sustained burn injuries following a leakage in the blast furnace of Tata Steel’s Meramandali plant in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Tuesday. They have been admitted to a private hospital in Cuttack.
According to sources, the mishap occurred after a steam pipe burst due to leakage. Labourers and engineers, who were inspecting the blast furnace, were injured after hot water fell on them. The condition of two persons is said to be critical.
“Around 19 persons were injured when valve carrying hot water got opened,” Dhenkanal SP Gyanaranjan Mohapatra told the media, adding that a team from the district administration will also visit the spot for an investigation.
Tata Steel, in a statement, said there was an accident at the blast furnace power plant of Tata Steel Meramandali in Dhenkanal, Odisha around 1 pm during inspection resulting in burn injuries to 19 persons. “We are saddened to report an accident at the BFPP2 power plant due to escape of steam at Tata Steel Meramandali Works in Dhenkanal, Odisha. The accident occurred at 1 pm today during the course of the inspection work and has affected a few people working at the site, who were immediately shifted to the Occupational Health Centre inside the plant premises and then to Cuttack for further treatment, as a precautionary measure, in the company’s ambulance, accompanied by doctor and paramedics.”
“Post the accident, all emergency protocol services were activated and the area was cordoned off. The company is ensuring all necessary information and support to the families of the affected personnel. We are working closely with relevant authorities on ground and have initiated an internal investigation to ascertain the cause of the accident. Safety remains our top priority and we’re committed to learning from this incident. We will share updates as and when more details are available.”
