27 taken ill due to 'increased emission' at Durgapur steel plant

Last Updated: Friday, July 16, 2010, 00:16

Tags: Methane gas leak, Durgapur Steel Plant, WB

27 taken ill due to `increased emission` at Durgapur steel plant

Kolkata: At least 27 workers were taken ill after "increased emission" of carbon monoxide and methane from a blast furnace of Durgapur Steel Plant this morning, a day after a chlorine gas leak in Bombay Port Trust landed over hundred people in hospital.

Out of the affected workers, 24 were admitted in Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) hospital where the condition of four was stated to be critical, chief of communications of DSP, B Kanungo said, adding they have been shifted to ICU.

Denying it to be a case of gas leak, Kanungo said the workers felt uncomfortable near the furnace due to "increased concentration of the gases".

Burdwan District Magistrate, Onkar Singh Meena, too said there was no leakage inside the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)-owned plant.

The affected workers were immediately shifted from the place and taken to the hospital. The situation was under control, Meena said.

At least 120 people were taken ill yesterday when they inhaled chlorine gas which leaked from one of the imported cylinders lying on Bombay Port Trust's (BPT) Hay Bandar premises for 13 years.

PTI

First Published: Friday, July 16, 2010, 00:16

Comments

BISWAJIT NAYAK - DURGAPUR
In my opinion, the safety portion of DSP is not enough for the worker.The workers are also careless about their safety

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p r bhalla - bhilai
i do not agree, the plant people are equipped to handle all the aspects of safety regulations.though there are `misses` but you can not doubt the capabilities.there is no need of outsiders .

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Subhojit Chandra - Kolkata
the carelessness of management lead to these kind of accident??? is these accident can lead an harmful effect on nearby enviroment?

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Tushar Kant Joshi - New Delhi
it must have been carbon monoxide and not methane which is used in blast furnace. the last episode was in bokaro steel plant where a good number died.
it shows the utter lack of committment on the part of establishments for occupational health and safety. no lessons have been learnt from bhopal. occupational health and safety is a highly developed field which should be managed by professionals and not left to those who have not undergone any training in the field. be prepared for more such and more serious outbreaks and incidents due to ageing plants.