JOIN USHaldia refinery fire: 38 workers undergoing treatment
Thirty-eight workers who were injured in the fire at Indian Oil Corporation’s refinery in Haldia (south Bengal) are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Kolkata, while three contract workers have been discharged after treatment.
The Tuesday flash fire at the refinery had claimed three lives.
Meanwhile, families of the 3 contract workers who died have been contacted, according to official sources. A high-level committee from Delhi has reached the site to inquire about the cause of the fire.
Hardeep Singh Puri, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas, on Tuesday, in a tweet, had stated that the flash had claimed three lives, and there were 44 who had burn injuries. A green corridor was created to shift critically injured workers to hospitals in Kolkata. “Compensation & best medical care will be provided to all those who have been affected. Detailed investigation has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” Puri had mentioned.
Meanwhile outside the refinery, contractual workers protested on Wednesday. Soumen Mahapatra, irrigation minister in the West Bengal government visited the refinery and interacted with refinery officials.
Later, talking to local press representatives Mahapatra said the affected workers were of an agency and are from different states - Haryana, Bihar, Punjab. Among the ones who died, one is from Bihar, and two are from Maharashtra.
There are seven who have serious burn injuries. An amount of Rs 5 lakh by the Indian Oil, and an equal amount by the agency, will be given to the families of those who died, it has been decided, Mahapatra added.
A statement issued by Medica Superspeciality Hospital, one of the hospitals where the injured were rushed to, said that it received 10 patients from Indian Oil Corporation with 15%-25% burns. The injured are being looked after by a dedicated clinical and nursing team, and a medical board team has been put in place, it added.
Tapas Mukherjee, deputy managing director, DESUN Hospital, said: "At Desun, we have received 17 patients from Haldia Refinery Division so far with 25%-75% burns." Necessary treatment has been given to the patients depending on their state, he added.