Bhubaneswar: Tension escalated at the cement plant at Rajgangpur in Sundargarh on Friday with three workers reported trapped for over 15 hours under debris after a coal hopper, a big iron structure, collapsed on its premises the previous evening.
With no updates on the missing workers, the victims’ families barged into the plant and created a ruckus, sources said.
Three workers have been identified as Susanta Rout (58), Ranjit Bhol (24), and Dashrath Patra (42), working under a contractor at the power plant. “The rescue operation is on, and we will make every effort to rescue them,” the HT reported, quoting Rajgangpur Tehsildar Jagabandhu Mallick.
He informed that 64 workers have already been rescued.
Six firefighter and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams are engaged in the rescue operation and cranes and other heavy machinery are being used to clear the debris. Police have also deployed four platoons of forces to prevent any untoward incidents.
DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai and Sundargarh SP Pratyush Diwakar also arrived at the scene as the operation continued in the night.
Company officials said they have started an internal investigation into the mishap. “Safety protocols are under review to prevent future occurrences,” it said, adding that the coal hopper was operated by a third-party vendor.
A coal hopper is used for storing large quantities of coal before it is moved to a boiler. It is supported by four iron pillars. The incident took place around 5.30 pm on Thursday, trapping the workers under a massive heap of coal and debris. The operator room located beneath the coal bunker was also completely damaged.
