ERODE: A 22-year-old worker died while filling a gas cylinder at the IOCL plant inside the SIPCOT complex at Perundurai on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as R Saravanan, a native of Attur who was staying near Perundurai. Police said Saravanan had been working in the IOCL’s bottling plant as temporary staff for the past one year.
He came to work on Tuesday afternoon as usual and was filling cylinders. “An explosion was heard around 7.50 pm where Saravanan was working. Co-workers rushed to his work site and found him unconscious on the floor with injuries on his face and chest. A few cylinders were scattered around him. The workers took Saravanan to the Government Medical College Hospital in Perundurai for treatment. But he was declared dead,” police said.
Investigation revealed that Saravanan was trying to fill a 19 kg cylinder when it exploded. As Saravanan filled the gas, the base of the cylinder separated and because of the high pressure, the metal parts hit Saravanan in the face and chest. He died because of this. Perundurai police registered a case.
Attempts to contact labour welfare department officials to ascertain whether Saravanan was provided protective clothing at work failed.