Accident at steel factory near Wardha; Thirty-eight injured, eight of them critical

Thirty-eight persons were wounded during maintenance work at a steel factory near Wardha on Wednesday. Out of the 38 persons, 8 are in critical condition.

“The accident took place around 10 am when nearly 50 workers were carrying out maintenance work at the Uttam Galva Metallic plant at Bhugaon, about 5 km from here,” Wardha Collector Vivek Bhimanwar told media.  “The accident apparently happened while the workers were removing burnt coke from the furnace… we were told something fell down from the furnace top into the coke, leading to a sudden burst of hot particles and air. Thirty-eight people sustained burn injuries. They have been admitted to the Acharya Vinoba Bhave Medical College and Hospital at Sawangi (Meghe) and Kasturba Hospital Sevagram,” said Bhimanwar.

A statement released by the factory said they care for their workers and a detailed internal investigation is also being carried out to identify the cause of the accident and all necessary steps will be taken to address the issue. Wardha District Guardian Minister Sunil Kedar said, “An inquiry will be conducted into whether safety norms were violated, leading to the mishap, and strict action will be taken against those responsible.”