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Raigarh, October 24 (IANS) Four employees suffered burn injuries in an explosion that occurred on Friday in the furnace section of the NRVS Steel Plant located at Taraimal in Punjipathra police station area of Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh.
Police officials said that the condition of one laborer remains critical and he has been referred to a hospital in Raipur.
The incident created chaos in the plant premises and a stampede-like situation was created in the surrounding areas.
Immediately after the explosion, the plant management started rescue and relief operations.
The injured were taken to the nearest hospital, where doctors gave them first aid. The condition of the other three workers – two local and one from Bihar – is said to be stable. He is undergoing treatment in the hospital.
The condition of 35-year-old Ramnarayan Yadav, a resident of Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, is critical. Police sources said he was working near the furnace when the explosion occurred.
Yadav’s face and upper body suffered more than 60 percent burns.
According to doctors, Yadav’s life is in danger, hence he has been referred to Bilaspur or Raipur Medical College in Raipur.
According to the information, the explosion occurred around 7 am in the morning when work on molten metal was going on in the furnace.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the explosion occurred due to a sudden increase in pressure inside the furnace.
Due to the powerful explosion, dense black smoke started coming out in the surrounding area, due to which the flames started reaching the sky.
The plant employees and nearby villagers ran away in panic.
Police of Punjipathra police station has reached the spot and started investigation.
A forensic team has been called to find out the exact cause of the explosion.
The district administration has temporarily halted the operations of the plant and announced the formation of a high-level inquiry committee.
Labor unions have also expressed grief over the accident and demanded a safety audit at the plant. Raigarh district is known as an industrial hub, home to a large number of steel plants.
Several small accidents have occurred here in recent years, but such a large eruption is rare. In May 2025, a furnace explosion at an iron and steel plant injured four workers.
–IANS
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