Vizag plant tragedy raises safety questions, triggers political row

Tragic accident

Nine workers died, and several others were critically injured after a massive industrial accident at the RINL steel plant in Visakhapatnam, where a ladle carrying molten steel suddenly exploded inside the steel melting shop on Monday (June 8) afternoon.

The explosion, which occurred at around 4.15 pm, released nearly 150 tonnes of molten steel at temperatures exceeding 1,500 degrees Celsius, engulfing the shop floor and trapping workers with no chance of escape.

Also read: Five workers killed after molten iron spill at Vizag Steel Plant

“9 workers are dead, several others are fighting for their lives,” the report said.

Five workers died on the spot, while others were rushed to King George Hospital (KGH) and private hospitals. The toll later rose to nine, with six still hospitalised and two in critical condition.

Massive destruction

The scale of destruction inside the plant has been described as unprecedented in recent decades. An overhead crane caught fire, while power cables and infrastructure were gutted in the blast.

Bodies were burnt beyond recognition, forcing authorities to carry out DNA tests for identification of the deceased workers.

“The metal, at temperatures of over 1,500 degrees Celsius, spilled across the shop floor,” the report noted.

Officials said the accident caused widespread damage to critical plant infrastructure, raising serious questions about operational safety standards.

Also read: Vizag steel plant blast: Another worker dies, toll rises to 9

Safety questions

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan described the incident as unprecedented, claiming such a ladle blast has no known parallel globally.

“I have been asking my colleagues also… this particular ladle blast never happened till today,” he said, adding that while other industrial accidents had occurred in countries like China and France, this specific type of blast had not been recorded before.

The tragedy also brought RINL’s safety systems under scrutiny, with workers and unions alleging long-standing issues related to ageing equipment and manpower shortages.

Compensation debate

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF for the families of the deceased.

Separately, the Centre announced ₹25 lakh compensation for each deceased worker and ₹10 lakh for the injured.

Also read: 'Privatising Vizag steel plant? We want our land back': Farmers to Centre

However, trade unions have criticised the compensation as inadequate, demanding ₹1 crore for each victim, citing precedents in earlier industrial disasters.

“From Delhi to Palakpura, they are making the workers work without safety equipment and are fighting with the unions,” a union representative said.

Political clash

The incident has also triggered a political controversy after IT Minister and TDP working president Nara Lokesh visited KGH to meet victims’ families.

During the visit, union leaders reportedly confronted him over repeated warnings about safety concerns and manpower shortages that they say were ignored.

Lokesh allegedly reacted sharply, questioning whether the unions were behaving responsibly, triggering backlash from opposition parties and labour groups.

“If you ask the union leaders why they haven’t responded yet… you can see Lokesh’s arrogance and authority,” a critic said.

Telugu Shakti president B V Ram called his behaviour “completely unacceptable” and demanded a public apology, while the YSR Congress Party also criticised the minister, calling it a display of arrogance at a time of grief.

Probe ordered

A three-member expert committee has been constituted to investigate the cause of the explosion. The Steel Ministry has also ordered an external probe into the incident.

Authorities have begun a detailed technical assessment of equipment failure, safety protocols, and operational lapses that may have led to the blast.

Also read: Kadapa steel plant: Why Naidu, Jagan keep it alive though it is not feasible

Repeated tragedies

The latest disaster has also revived memories of past accidents at the plant. In 2012, the facility reportedly saw the death of 19 workers in an accident, raising fresh concerns over whether lessons were ever learned.

With multiple investigations now underway, questions remain over whether this tragedy will finally lead to lasting safety reforms—or become another forgotten chapter in industrial disaster history.

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