Visakhapatnam

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday announced a comprehensive compensation package for the families of workers killed in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant explosion, while describing the tragedy as an unprecedented industrial accident.

The deputy chief minister visited KIMS Hospital in Visakhapatnam, where several injured workers are undergoing treatment. Accompanied by family members of the victims, he interacted with doctors to assess the condition of those admitted and assured them of the government's full support.

Kalyan said the state government would bear the complete cost of medical treatment for the injured and provide assistance to affected families in every possible manner.

Giving details of the accident, he said the explosion took place around 4.15 pm during routine operations at the steel melting shop.

"A severe blast occurred during the continuous casting process. Just before the slide gate was opened, a sudden explosion took place. The impact triggered a fire that spread to the roof of the facility and also engulfed an overhead crane," he said.

The deputy chief minister confirmed that eight workers had lost their lives in the tragedy, while six others sustained serious injuries.

"Eight precious lives have been lost. Six people are seriously injured, and two among them have suffered first and second-degree burns. We are doing everything possible to ensure they recover. The entire government machinery is focused on their treatment and survival," he said.

Kalyan outlined the compensation package being extended to the families of the deceased.

Families of regular employees will receive compensation amounting to ₹1.72 crore along with monthly pension benefits. The kin of contract workers will be provided ₹45.7 lakh and monthly provident fund pension benefits.

In addition, the state government will provide an ex-gratia payment of ₹25 lakh to the family of each deceased worker. The Prime Minister's National Relief Fund will also extend ₹2 lakh to each bereaved family.

Describing the incident as highly unusual, Kalyan said industrial accidents do occur periodically but maintained that a blast of this nature had never been witnessed at the steel plant.

"Such accidents in industrial belts happen once in six to eight months, but a blast of this magnitude has never occurred before. In more than three decades of this plant's history, there has been no such incident. I also discussed this with experts and colleagues to understand whether a similar ladle blast had occurred anywhere in the world. They informed me that this specific type of explosion has not been recorded before, although other forms of industrial accidents have taken place in countries such as China and France," he said.

The deputy chief minister's remarks came a day after Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹25 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹10 lakh each to those injured in the accident.

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At least eight workers were killed and several others injured on Monday after a large quantity of molten steel leaked from the SMS-2 and STC-3 heat facility at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, triggering one of the deadliest industrial accidents in the plant's history.