6 killed in gas leakage at Bhilai steel plant

The deceased have been identified as deputy general manager BK Singh (56), deputy general manager NK Kataria (56), master technician A Samuel (48), senior operator Yarad Ram Sahu (53), assistant fire station officer Ramesh Kumar Sharma (58) and contract labourer Vikas Verma.

Senior officials rushed in and all affected persons were taken immediately to the Sector 9 hospital where 11 of them had to be admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). ‘Despite all efforts by doctors, the lives of five employees could not be saved. Besides them, another person, a contract labourer, also died in the incident,’ a statement issued by the plant reads.

‘Plant management is providing all possible care and support and efforts are on for an early liquidation from the breakdown. High level enquiry shall be conducted to ascertain the cause of the breakdown and management will extend all the support to the affected persons,’ the statement reads. Later, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, state revenue minister Prem Prakash Pandey and SAIL chairman CS Verma rushed to the spot to monitor the rescue effort.

Speaking to media persons, Verma said, ‘All kind of support would be extended to the affected persons. I have demanded a high-level probe in to the matter.’

In Delhi, prime minister Narendra Modi discussed the matter with Raman Singh over the phone on Friday. Modi  assured the chief minister of all necessary assistance for rescue and relief operations as well as help for the treatment of those affected. ‘My condolences to the family members of those who lost their lives in the tragic accident,’ PMO statement reads.

Durg collector R Sangeetha said, ‘A magisterial inquiry, headed by the Durg additional district magistrate, has been ordered.