Six workers killed, five injured in blast at steel plant in Chhattisgarh

At least six workers were killed and five others injured in a blast at a steel plant in Chhattisgarh's Balodabazar-Bhatapara district on Thursday.

Officials said that the incident occurred at the Real Ispat and Power Ltd in Bakulahi village in the Bhatapara rural area.

As per preliminary information, the explosion took place in the Dust Settling Chamber (DSC) of the unit and hot dust fell on the workers, causing them serious burns. Six workers died on the spot while five others sustained serious burns, District Collector Deepak Soni said.

After being alerted, police and senior administrative officials rushed to the spot and initiated relief and rescue operations.

The five injured workers have been admitted to the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in Bilaspur, the collector said.

State Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal said he has spoken to the collector and instructed him to provide the best possible treatment to the injured persons.

He also instructed the collector to investigate the incident thoroughly and ensure swift and strict action against those responsible, an official statement said.

Jaiswal expressed deep grief over the incident and prayed for peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss.

He said the state government stands firmly with the affected families in this difficult time and assured that all necessary assistance will be provided.

(With PTI inputs)