In yet another accident, two engineers of a private firm died of suspected gas leak at the Steel Melt Shop-2 of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant on Monday.
Two engineers of SMS Seimag India Limited collapsed while inspecting the container laboratory handled by the agency in the expansion area at about 10.20 a.m. The unit where the incident occurred is under the control of SMS Seimag and is yet to be handed over to VSP.
The deceased were identified as Anush Bhaskar (22) from Tamil Nadu and Rajneesh Singh (35) from Bihar. While Singh fell unconscious, Bhaskar suffered from giddiness and nausea during the inspection.
They were rushed to Visakha Steel General Hospital where doctors declared Singh brought dead.
The other victim succumbed while undergoing treatment a little later.
Incidentally, it happened exactly two years after June 13, 2012 blast at oxygen pressure reduction station of SMS-2 in which 19 employees died. Two workers died on May 1, 2012 in another blast at the new blast furnace.
The management of RINL, corporate entity of VSP, said all the gas lines of the network of the concerned unit at SMS-2 were in good working condition and in closed state when the Monday’s incident occurred.
“Absolutely no openings were found in the main gas distribution lines. Gas lines and all connected valves were in closed condition and were fully intact during the occurrence of incident,” an official release said. The release said the cause of the incident was being probed.
VSP recognised union president N. Rama Rao and general secretary D. Adinarayana blaming the management for the frequent accidents.