ANGUL: A day after three workers died of suffocation, the Sree Metaliks sponge iron plant in Angul on Wednesday shut down one of its two kilns.
Assistant director of the plant Manas Mishra said, “There are two kilns in the plant, each with a production capacity of 100 tonnes of sponge iron. We have stopped the first kiln where the mishap occurred.”
He said an investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the incident. “Preliminary findings suggest a possible toxic gas leak that may have suffocated the workers. The exact cause will be confirmed after the inquiry. We have also directed the plant authorities to rectify the safety lapses identified,” he said.
Additional district magistrate of Angul Pratap Pritimaya warned of criminal action if the allegations against the plant authorities of taking the three workers to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack despite them being dead were found to be true.
“The Factory and Boiler department is conducting an inquiry, and we will take further legal action based on their findings,” the ADM said. He added that each victim’s family will receive Rs 8.5 lakh from the plant management, along with Rs 12 lakh each as workmen compensation.
Meanwhile, police have registered a case of negligence against the plant authorities and are awaiting the postmortem report. Officials said the reports will determine whether the deaths occurred inside the plant or while the workers were being shifted to Cuttack on Monday night.
