6 killed, 34 injured in gas leakage at Bhilai Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: Six persons, including two Deputy General Managers, were killed and over 34 people fell ill when suspected poisonous gas leaked in the Bhilai Steel Plant in Durg district of Chhattisgarh today.

Gas leakage from blast furnace-GCP occurred at around 6.30 PM due to breakdown in a water pump, affecting people working nearby in the plant premises, a statement issued by the plant said.

Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) Pradeep Gupta said five persons, including two DGMs, were killed and 30 others injured in the incident.

The injured included CISF personnel, workers and officials of the public sector plant. All the affected persons have been taken to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Bhilai and the seriously ill have been admitted to ICU, Gupta said.

"Plant Management is providing all possible care and support and efforts are on for an early liquidation from the breakdown," the statement by the plant said. A high-level inquiry would be conducted to ascertain the cause of the breakdown and the management will extend all the support to the affected persons, the statement added.

Chief Minister Raman Singh expressed grief over the incident and said best medical care will be provided to those affected in the incident.

Earlier, due to fatal accidents at the plant one person each died in 2011 and 2012. Five persons died in 2013. Till February this year, there were no fatal accidents. The plant also witnessed 8 minor accidents in 2011, six in 2012 and 12 in 2013.

There was one accident in 2014. Eleven-time winner of Prime Minister's Trophy for best Integrated steel plant in the country, Bhilai Steel Plant
produces rails and heavy steel plates. The plant has 3.9 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) production capacity now. SAIL is investing around Rs 18,000
crore to raise it to 7 mtpa