Entrapped Gases and Sudden Explosion: Here’s How Eight Workers Died in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant |
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Hyderabad: Eight workers died and six were critically injured in the explosion of a ladle, a vessel used to hold molten metal at temperatures over 1,500 degree celsius, at the steel melting unit of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, a Navaratna Central Public Sector Enterprise whose corporate entity, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), functions under the Union Ministry of Steel, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on Tuesday (June 9) evening.
The blast was caused by entrapped gases from liquid steel, a preliminary investigation by the chief inspector of factories at Visakhapatnam has found.
The report mentioned that the explosion took place when the full steel ladle was being rotated and centred for casting.
“A sudden explosion took place, causing the ladle to tip and molten steel to fall on workers working on the floor below. The explosion took place around 4.15 pm before opening the slide gate. The temperature of the molten steel in the large industrial ladle was around 1,500 to 1,600 degree celsius,” the report said.
It added that with the explosion, “the overhead crane also caught fire”. A “ball of fire” rose from the explosion and extended up to the ceiling, a worker reported to the inspector of factories, the report mentioned.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Steel issued a separate statement saying a sudden explosion triggered the........