Labourer dies of electric shock at Bhilai Steel Plant

A labourer today died of a suspected electric shock at Steel Authority of India's Bhilai plant in Chhattisgarh's Durg district.

The incident comes close on the heels of gas leakage at the plant last week in which six people, including two Deputy General Managers, were killed and nearly 30 others fell ill.

The victim, identified as Jagdish Sahu (25), a contractual labourer, was doing welding work today in a section of blast furnace no-6 where maintenance work is underway, City Superintendent of Police (Bhilai Nagar) Virendra Satpathi told PTI. He suddenly fell down after receiving an electric shock, the SP said.

Soon after the incident, he was rushed to a local hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, he said.

A case has been registered in this connection and further probe is on, he added.A senior plant official told PTI that the operation of blast furnace-6 was suspended since April 6 due to maintenance work.

Workers of Sai construction and other firms were engaged in the maintenance work there.The plant management has been informed about today's incident and it is looking into it, the official said.

On June 12, the gas leakage from the blast furnace-GCP occurred after a breakdown in water pump house no-2 resulting in death of six persons and about 30 others falling sick at the plant.

The Central government decided to constitute a high-level committee to investigate the last week's incident while the state government has ordered a judicial probe into it.