At least four workers died on Wednesday and a few others fell ill after inhaling a toxic gas leaked from a unit at Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of the state-run SAIL in Odisha, official sources said.
The mishap took place at the Coal Chemical Department of the RSP in the morning, when a total of 10 workers were on duty. The four were contractual workers engaged by a private company, they said. Official sources said all the affected were shifted to Ispat General Hospital. Sources said the doctors declared the four dead at 11.40am. “According to a preliminary report, the four workers died due to emission of carbon monoxide gas from the unit,” the officials said. They were admitted to the ICU of the Ispat General Hospital (IGH) where they died and a few others are being treated in the RSP dispensary. A high-level committee has been formed to inquire into the cause of the incident. The plant is functioning normally. It is suspected that the injured workers were affected with Coke oven gas while attempting to replace a pipe.
