A 55-year-old employee of Travancore Titanium Products Ltd. (TTPL) was killed on Friday when a part of a limestone container unit of the acid neutralisation plant that collapsed fell on him. The deceased has been identified as Hareendran. He was brought dead to the Medical College Hospital here.
Sarosh (28), a contract employee at the plant, sustained injuries in the accident. The container unit collapsed around 8 a.m. According to one of the workers, Hareendran was atop the container, preparing it for the day ahead. He jumped down when he realised that the unit was collapsing.
Hareendran sustained injuries on his head when one of the parts fell on him. Four employees were near the plant when the accident occurred.
Two persons escaped without injuries.
“The workers were rescued by the time we reached there. As the accident occurred early in the day, not many workers were nearby, which probably saved more lives,” said a Fire & Rescue Services official.
George Ninan, Managing Director of TTPL, said the plant was commissioned in 2016, although the construction had completed few years back.
There was some delay in making the treatment plant operational as certain issues with the company that had set up the plant had to be sorted out. It was not able to maintain the specifications of the byproducts or maintain the pH value of the effluents.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) had in 2015 registered a case over suspicion of corruption in the setting up of the effluent treatment plant at the public sector industrial unit.
Police probe
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Arul B. Krishna, the police would look into whether there was a case of negligence, leading to the accident.
“We have contacted the Fire & Rescue Services as well as PWD officials, who will check for the structural stability as well as other safety issues. A case of unnatural death has been registered,” said the DCP.
Minister for Industries A.C. Moideen visited the accident site and asked company officials to take care of the family of the deceased. He gave directions to the Additional Chief Secretary to conduct an inquiry.
Senior CPI(M) leader V.S. Achuthanandan, in a statement, demanded a thorough inquiry into the accident at the plant.
“The CAG as well as the Vigilance Department had found that there was loss to the tune of ₹80 crore in the construction of the plant. The Vigilance case against the UDF leaders, including Oommen Chandy, over this issue is still dragging on. This investigation has to be completed at the earliest,” he said.
V.S.Sivakumar, MLA, demanded compensation for the family of the deceased.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had issued orders to shut down the Travancore Titanium plant in May, citing the absence of an effective effluent treatment plant.
However, the plant was later allowed to function based on the company’s appeal and a report submitted by the State Pollution Control Board.
The Titanium dioxide plant located at Vettukad in the capital has for long been facing criticism and protests from the local people for pumping out effluents in the form of sulphuric acid out into the sea.
