Fire Breaks Out At Rourkela Steel Plant In Odisha, No Casualties Reported

A fire broke out at the premises of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) late night on Sunday (April 4) reducing machinery and hardware worth lakhs to ashes. Sources said that the incident took place following a sudden outburst of slag boiler at Steel Melting Shop (SMS)-II of the plant. The fire soon spread to the vicinity including the control room of the slag boiler. The room was completely engulfed in flames and electrical tools and machinery installed inside the room were ravaged. After noticing the inferno in the room, the officials on spot called the fire services personnel who rushed to the spot with two fire tenders and brought the blaze under control. However, no human casualties or injuries were reported in the mishap, as most of the employees were off-duty during the late night hours. Following the incident, the ongoing work at the SMS-II and the entire area was halted. Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the plant has ordered an inquiry into the mishap. Four general managers of the industry have been asked to investigate and submit a report. On the other hand, various labour unions expressed concern over such repeated mishaps. The unions alleged shoddy maintenance in the boiler for such accidents.