Eleven injured in explosion at Tata Steel Jamshedpur
15 Nov 2013
Eleven persons sustained injuries when a lactic dehydrogenase (LD) gas tanker exploded at the Tata Steel plant in Jamshedpur on Thursday. Two of the injured persons who are in critical condition have been admitted to the CCU of Tata Main Hospital.
Workers and employees rushed to the spot after hearing a deafening sound and seeing fire around 2.30 pm. A large LD gas container in the LD-2 section of the plant exploded.
LD is among several gases used in the melting of iron in a steel factory. Report quoting experts said an unstable mixture of gas or air in the proportion of between 9 to 33 per cent in the gas holder might have led to such an explosion.
Among those injured are five employees and four contractor workers. According to company officials, nine others, who were also admitted in Tata Main, are out of danger.
The fireball rapidly spread to adjoining areas, causing burn injuries to several workers.
The explosion caused the thick iron sheet roof cover of the gas holder to split causing splinter injuries to some workers present on the spot, according to officials at the district office of factory inspector.
According to city SP Karthik S, 11 persons had sustained injury including splinter and burn injuries and all had been admitted to TMH.
After visiting the accident site, deputy chief inspector of factories A K Mishra said, the pipeline dedicated to supply gas to the container caught fire following the explosion and it took more than four hours to bring the fire under control.
There were several gas holders in the unit and which one had exploded was also yet to be known.
The company said in a release that the fire has been extinguished and the gas leakage plugged and added that all vital installations have been isolated and were safe.
The release went on to add that there was no danger of any gas leakage from the steel plant.
The company spokesperson said a team, which was part of the company would be deployed to investigate the cause of the explosion.
The Jamshedpur plant which has a capacity of 9.7-million-tonne is the company's largest plant.