Jajpur: Four labourers were critically injured by an explosion at the drypit no-4 of a steel plant at Kalinganagar Friday afternoon. The plant suffered financial losses worth lakhs of rupees.
Over 30 labourers are missing. The company authorities reportedly tried to hush up the matter, locals alleged. The authorities even did not allow media persons to visit the site, they added.
According to sources, melted iron is transported through two pipes when the temperature of the pipes, filled with sulphur gas, remains between 1800 to 2000 degrees Celsius. The pipes are protected by metal walls. However, water accidentally fell on the pipes, when they exploded leading to the bursting of the protecting wall. The situation became critical after sulphur gas spread around. The plant premises filled with sulphur gas looked dark.
The injured labourers were identified as Santosh Kumar Mandal (22), Birendra Mandal (31), Krishna Mandal (24) and Ranjit Mandal (28) of Giridi in Jharkhand. They were treated at a hospital on the plant premises.
Police started an investigation.
When contacted, chief of the company’s corporate communication wing said the intensity of explosion was very low. The loss is being estimated. He, however, added that the reason behind the explosion is yet to be ascertained.
PNN