THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Bokaro, April 6: A total of 21 workers, including employees of Bokaro Steel Plant and contract workers, were admitted to Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) following an incident at the Hot Strip Mill on Saturday morning.
A communiqué issued by the BSL management and BGH stated that these workers were exposed to smoke at the Bokaro Steel Plant and have been admitted to the hospital for observation as a precautionary measure.
“Their conditions are reported to be normal and stable, and doctors are continuously monitoring them,” the communiqué stated.
Bokaro Steel Plant denies poisonous gas leak
The incident occurred this morning when the Bokaro Steel Plant was engulfed in chaos following an incident at its Hot Strip Mill. Smoke suddenly filled the plant during operations, raising concerns about a potential poisonous gas leak.
However, the management of Bokaro Steel Plant has refuted any claims of a poisonous gas leak. All workers and employees were evacuated from the plant as a safety measure, with management advising people to stay away from the Hot Strip Mill until further notice.
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District administration on high alert, seeks report from company
Meanwhile, the district administration is on high alert after receiving information about a gas leak in the BSL plant. Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav is personally monitoring the situation.
Deputy Development Commissioner Sandeep Kumar, District Disaster Management Officer Shakti, and other district-level officials have also reached the spot. Ambulance and fire brigade teams are engaged in relief work.
The district administration has sought a report on the matter from the company management. Management has urged workers and the general public not to panic as the situation is under control.
The administration is ready to deal with every situation. Deputy Commandant CISF has been instructed to conduct a security assessment.
Incident during maintenance work
Eyewitnesses reported that the incident took place around 8:30 am during scheduled maintenance work on the mixed gas pipeline supplying gas to the hot strip mill’s reheating furnace.
The closed pipeline, which was without gas, required a compensator change, leading to cutting and welding work. Sparks from the welding ignited inflammable substances such as Naptha and Sulphur stored in the pipeline, causing significant smoke to spread to the hot strip mill and resulting in a brief period of chaos.
A BSL public relations official clarified that there was no gas leakage and urged people not to panic.
