
ROURKELA: Even as search and rescue continued at the Rajgangpur-based cement plant of Dalmia Bharat for the second day with deployment of heavy machineries, at least three contract workers are feared trapped under the coal and iron debris.
The mishap occurred around 5.30 pm on Thursday at production Line 2 of the plant in Sundargarh district when the coal bunker/hopper collapsed with coal stock trapping three workers below. Besides the Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd's teams, one platoon of ODRAF and four teams of the fire brigade have been engaged in the search and rescue operation, DIG of Police (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said on Friday.
Rai said the operation is taking time and likely to continue till evening due to the complex location of the accident site amid accumulation of iron structures and coal heaps in a space of 15x12 meters space. Cutting of iron structures and clearing of coal mounds and other debris are taking time to reach the spot where the workers are feared trapped.
The DIG said the contract workers were engaged by the Operational Energy Group of Tamil Nadu, a provider of power plant services, and according to the OEG three of its workers are missing and might be trapped under the debris.
According to unofficial sources, the missing contract workers are Ranjit Bal, Dasarathi Patra and Sushant Rout, all from the Rajgangpur area.
Amid palpable tension outside the locked gate of the Dalmia Cement plant, the family members of the missing workers anxiously waited for information.
On Thursday, Deputy Director of Factories and Boilers Bibhu Prasad had said only one worker was missing. The number of missing workers subsequently increased to three after DIG Rai, Sundargarh SP Pratyush Diwaker and other senior officers rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.