3-man committee to inquire Visakhapatnam steel plant accident

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Union minister for steel and heavy industries HD Kumara Swamy announced that a three-man committee was appointed to conduct an inquiry into the tragic accident in the Visakhapatnam steel plant (VSP) in which eight people were charred to death and six others received burn injuries.

The 3-man committee will have experts and higher officials in different steel plants in the country. The committee is likely to visit the plant on Tuesday and Wednesday and visit the accident spot in the Steel Melting Shop (SMS) One. They would interact with the workers, union leaders and steel plant management before submitting a report to the government.

It is recalled that liquid hot metal carrying ladle fell on the ground after a big explosion in Steel Melting Shop (SMS) I, resulting in eight workers being charred to death in the evening of Monday, following a blast and fire incident in SMS-2.

The liquid hot metal with 1600 degrees celsius fell on the ground and spread the fire in the SMS unit.

Kumara Swamy announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia to the families of each deceased worker, including the three contract or outsourcing employees and Rs 10 lakh to severely injured persons. Cost of treatment of the injured will be borne by the steel plant.

One permanent job to the families of each deceased person. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already announced Rs 2 lakh to deceased persons’ families and Rs 50,000 to each injured person from the PM's relief fund.

The permanent employees' would get around Rs 1.5 crore compensations while the outsourcing employees would get Rs 36 lakh including all insurance and others. The family members of deceased have been permitted to retain their quarters in Steel Plant Township till the notional date of superannuation of the deceased.

The family members who are residing outside the Steel Plant Township have also been offered quarters as per entitlement in case they desire. Continuation of education of the children of the deceased has been permitted on par with VSP employees.

The steel minister Kumara Swamy along with civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu, state home minister Vangalapudi Anita and Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat visited the accident spot in the wee hours of Tuesday.

They enquired about the incident and met with the injured persons at the steel plant hospital.

While speaking to media persons, the steel minister said that it was a sad incident and accidents will occur in the steel plants. But, it was a tragic incident. He asked the workers and union leaders to unite at this hour and continue the spirit for the development of the steel plant.

“The government is committed to the revival of the VSP and requesting all to cooperate. One should not panic with this incident. The committee will submit the report and recommendations. We will follow the recommendations to avoid such accidents in future,” he said.

After his visit, the Union Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupatiraju Srinivasa Varma too visited the accident spot in the wee hours. Workers alleged that ministers visited the plant in the midnight to avoid the resentment from the workers and deceased members’ families.