Ramgarh (Jharkhand)15 minutes ago
A major accident occurs late on Friday night at Maa Chhinnamastika Cement and Ispat Factory in Barkakana, Ramgarh, Jharkhand. A turbine explodes while work is underway at the factory, triggering a massive fire in the plant.
Three engineers die of burn injuries, while a worker suffers serious injuries and is admitted to hospital. The deceased are identified as Sanjeev Kumar Kesari, 50, from Ranchi; Vineet Mahto, 25, from Jagueshwar, Bihar, in Bokaro; and Abhishek Pandey, 24, from Garhwa.
The injured worker is identified as Tarun Rajwar, who is receiving treatment in hospital.
Unit in-charge blames overheating
According to the unit in-charge, the accident occurred due to overheating. He says the management is repeatedly asked to install an air-conditioning system in the unit, but the request is not acted upon.
3 photos
Flames rising from the cement factory.
After the accident, the main gate of the factory has been closed.
A large number of workers gathered outside the factory and protested against the accident.
Compensation and jobs for dependents of the deceased
As soon as the blast and fire were reported, factory management officials reached the spot. The police were also informed about the incident. After this, four-five fire brigade vehicles were called from Ramgarh. Firefighters brought the fire in the factory’s power plant under control after much effort. After the accident, there was an atmosphere of chaos in the factory premises late into the night.
After receiving information about the incident, local villagers also gathered in large numbers in front of the factory on Saturday morning. The villagers have demanded adequate compensation for the dependents of the employees killed in the accident and a job for one family member. The villagers are preparing to block the factory gate. A tense situation prevails in the area regarding the incident. People are angry against the factory management.
Accident happened due to overheating
Anurag Tripathi, in-charge of the factory’s power plant unit, has blamed the management’s negligence for the accident. Anurag alleged that the accident occurred due to rising temperature and overheating in the plant. The management was requested to install ACs to control the temperature, but adequate steps were not taken in this direction.
If temperature control measures had been put in place in time, the accident could have been avoided. However, the actual cause of the accident will only become completely clear after an official investigation.
Currently, the police and factory management are gathering information about the causes of the incident. After the accident, questions are also being raised regarding safety arrangements and the safety of employees working in the plant.
