Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bhilai Steel Plant M. Ravi was removed from his post and two senior officials were suspended on Wednesday, a day after a blast in the plant of the State-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in Durg district of Chhattisgarh claimed 11 employees' lives.
This was stated by Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh after he visited the injured in the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Bhilai, located around 30 km from Raipur.
On Tuesday, nine people were killed and 14 injured in the blast. Of the injured admitted to the burns unit of the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, two died of their injuries late night on October 9, a public relations officer of the plant earlier told PTI .
Mr. Ravi has been removed with immediate affect and the suspended officials are general manager (safety department) T. Pandya Raja and deputy general manager (energy department) Naveen Kumar, Mr. Singh told reporters.
Earlier, Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) G.P. Singh said that after receiving the post mortem report of the deceased, a case under the Indian Penal Code Section 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) would be registered, followed by an inquiry into the incident.
Probe panel formed
Union Minister of State for Steel Vishnudeo Sai said on Tuesday that a four-member high-level committee was constituted by SAIL to probe the incident.
The explosion had taken place in the gas pipeline connected to the coke oven section of the plant during a maintenance job, SAIL had said.
