Visakhapatnam Steel Plant explosion: Death toll reaches 10

The death toll in the June 8 accident at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has increased to 10 after another worker succumbed to his injuries.

The contract worker, named G. Suribabu, breathed his last on Saturday at the MGM Seven Hills Hospital, IANS reported.

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The incident took place after a ladle carrying molten steel exploded at the SMS-1 unit of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) – the corporate entity of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

After the explosion, the molten steel leaked. The ladle was carrying steel at a high temperature of about 1,500 degrees Celsius.

Earlier, it was reported that eight workers passed away in the incident, while six others got injured. On June 10, another worker, named Kandula Paidiraju, succumbed to injuries.

Meanwhile, two persons have been discharged from the hospital, while two others continue to receive treatment and are said to be stable.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan visited the accident site on June 9. Later on, he announced a compensation of ₹25 lakh each to the family members of the deceased along with a job in the plant to one of the family members. Besides this, he also announced ₹10 lakh each to those who were seriously injured.

Kalyan shared that ₹1.72 crore will be provided to the permanent employees under retirement benefits, while ₹45.75 lakh to contract employees. Moreover, it was assured that the management of the plant will fully bear the expenses for the treatment of injured persons.