A major accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), operated by Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), claimed the lives of eight workers and left six others injured during casting operations at Steel Melt Shop-1.
According to India’s Ministry of Steel, a sudden explosion occurred at Caster-2 before molten steel could be transferred from a ladle to a tundish, triggering a large fireball that engulfed part of the facility and set an overhead crane on fire.
Media reports indicated that the crane carrying the ladle subsequently failed, causing molten steel at temperatures of around 1,500-1,600 degrees Celsius to fall onto the shop floor. Five RINL employees and three contract workers were killed in the incident, while six others sustained injuries and were hospitalized. Twelve workers reportedly escaped moments before the accident.
RINL has launched an internal investigation into the incident, while the Ministry of Steel has appointed a three-member external inquiry committee to conduct an independent probe.
RINL, under India’s Ministry of Steel, operates a 7.5 mln ton per annum plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.