KAKINADA: Two workers died on the spot and one was injured in an industrial accident here on Monday. An iron platform collapsed in the Parry Sugars Refinery India Ltd unit in Vakalapudi in Kakinada Rural Mandal, officials said, adding this was the second industrial mishap in the factory in recent times.
Factories department officials said a problem developed in the Sugar Crystal Liquid Solution Recovery Plant as the vacuum levels fell to .14 from the stipulated level of .24.
As the result, the platform got excessively pressured and it collapsed on two workers --Peruru Subrahmanyeswara Rao (33) of Unduru village of K Gangavaram (sentry figure officer) and Ragam Prasad (37) of Ragappa Cheruvu of Gollaprolu (mechanical fitter). Ragam Prasad died of head injuries.
Deputy chief inspector of factories Radhakrishna said a preliminary inquiry was ordered. The plant will be closed immediately as this was the second industrial accident in the factory.
Two workers had died in the Sugar Dust complex there on August 19.
Senior district police officials went and inspected the spot. Sarpavaram police registered a case against the factory management, citing negligence.
Kakinada MP Vanga Githa visited the factory and said it was unfortunate that four workers died in the same factory in 10 days. There was failure on the part of the factory management as it was not following the safety norms, she said.
She said no single doctor was appointed in the factory where hundreds of workers were engaged on a daily basis.
Telugu Desam leader SVSN Varma visited the factory and said there were no safety norms and the machines were too old. He urged the government to seize the unit. He said the factory management should be asked to pay suitable compensation to the families of the deceased workers.
The Jana Sena PAC member Pantham Nanaji too said the families of the deceased workers should be paid suitable compensation. He said the factory management did not pay insurance amounts to Andhra workers numbering 1400.
The Workers staged a stir against the management. It was led by Rambhala Satish of AIFTU, Talluri Raju of INTUC, Medisetty Venkata Ramana of CITU, P Veerababu of CITU and Thokala Prasad of AITUC.
