Odisha: Steam pipe bursts during inspection at Tata Steel plant, 19 injured

Some labourers and engineers, who were inspecting the blast furnace, were injured in the incident after hot water fell on them

Updated on: Jun 13, 2023, 16:23:56 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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At least 19 employees of Tata Steel’s 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Meramandali area of Odisha’s Dhenkanal sustained burn injuries around 1 pm on Tuesday, with five of them critical, after one of the steam pipes exploded due to a leakage.

Representative Image (REUTERS File Photo)

The incident occurred when a steam pipe burst because of a gas leakage during an inspection. Some labourers and engineers, who were inspecting the blast furnace, were injured in the incident after hot water fell on them.

Tata Steel in a press release said the injured were immediately shifted to the Occupational Health Centre inside its plant and then to Cuttack for further treatment.

“We are working closely with relevant authorities and conducting our own internal investigation. Safety remains our top priority and we are committed to learning from this incident. More details will follow as they become available,” the Tata Steel said in an official statement.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More