ROURKELA: The 42-hour-long search following the coal bunker collapse at the Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd (DCBL) plant ended with recovery of the bodies of three trapped workers on Saturday.
The victims were identified as Ranjit Bhol (32), Dasarathi Patra (42) and Sushant Rout (55) and their bodies retrieved from the boiler area of DCBL’s captive power plant at Rajgangpur in Sundargarh.
DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said the first body was recovered from the debris at around 5 am on Saturday. Between 10 and 11.30 am, the remaining two workers were found. The bodies were sent to Rourkela for autopsy and later handed over to the bereaved families for cremation.
Rai said a case has been registered based on the complaint filed by family members of one of the workers over negligence. Necessary action would be taken after the investigation.
Sundargarh sub-collector Dasarathi Sarabu said normalcy was restored in the plant after the management agreed to pay Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia and Rs 10 lakh as insurance claim to the families of Ranjit and Dasarathi. Family of Sushant would get Rs 20 lakh compensation with Rs 10 lakh insurance claim.
He further said additionally, regular job would be given to eligible family member of each of the deceased workers, educational support to their children till Class XII and company quarters for the bereaved families.
In a statement, DCBL condoled the deaths and announced the compensation, livelihood and educational support for the bereaved families. The company was committed to the safety and well-being of all workers, it added.
Rajgangpur tehsilar Jagabandhu Mallick was also present during the negotiation between the bereaved family members and DCBL authorities for compensation and rehabilitation measures.
Sources said after autopsy, bodies of Dasarathi and Sushant were cremated at Vedvyas in Rourkela. Bhol’s last rites were performed at Rajgangpur.
At around 6 pm on Thursday, the overhead hopper/bunker with huge coal stock collapsed in the boiler area of the captive power plant at production line 2 trapping the three workers dead. The three workers were engaged by DCBL’s vendor Operational Energy Group.
Besides the teams of DCBL, one platoon of ODRAF and four squads of the fire brigade were engaged in the complex search and rescue operation which involved cutting of heavy iron structures and removal of coal debris from a compact area of 12x15 metre.