Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh assures thorough probe in Vizag Steel Plant incident
Visakhapatnam, June 9
Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh on Tuesday said that the Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises HD Kumaraswamy has formed an expert committee to review the tragic accident at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
The tragedy occurred yesterday when a catastrophic explosion at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) facility claimed the lives of eight workers and left six others critically injured.
Speaking to the reporters, Lokesh noted that a special bailout package of Rs 15,000 crore to revive the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was made. The tragedy occurred when the steel plant was being revived.
"Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is a very historical steel plant. Under the leadership of PM Modi and our Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, they gave a special bailout package of Rs 15,000 crores to revive the steel plant and get it back on track. When it was being revived, an unfortunate incident happened yesterday. We are yet to understand why it happened. The collector, the commissioner of police, our home minister, member of parliament, member of legislative assembly, MLAs, all came here. Within six hours, Minister Kumaraswamy also reached here. Kumaraswamy has formed an expert committee, which will review everything end-to-end. They will arrive today," he said.
Earlier in the day, Lokesh met the families of workers who lost their lives in the tragic accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
The Minister reached King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam to console the bereaved families.
Lokesh was accompanied by Union Minister of State for Steel Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, Minister Sandhya Rani, Member of Parliament Sribharat M, TDP state President Palla Srinivasa Rao, and party leader Chintakayala Vijay.
Lokesh enquired about the specific circumstances that led to the industrial accident, listening to the grievances and concerns of those who lost their loved ones. Both Lokesh and Varma offered their deepest condolences, urging the grieving families to remain resilient during the difficult hour.
Addressing the families, Lokesh emphasised the unwavering commitment of the government to support the victims.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Lokesh and team visiting within hours shows they care. But we need more than assurances - these workers died because of some failure in safety protocols. The Rs 15,000 crore bailout is welcome but what about the families who lost breadwinners? Proper compensation and jobs for kin should be priority.
Tragic incident indeed. Having visited Vizag Steel Plant a few years ago, I know how crucial it is for the local economy. The bailout package is a good step, but simultaneous revival and safety checks should not have been rushed. Hope the committee does a thorough job - these eight lives cannot be in vain.
It's good that the minister visited the hospital, but I want to know who is responsible. Was safety compromised during the revival work? The bailout package of Rs 15,000 crore is huge, and taxpayers deserve accountability. Also, why did it take six hours for the Union minister to arrive? Every minute matters in such situations.
This is heartbreaking 💔 My uncle worked at RINL for 30 years and always said safety was their top priority. Something clearly went wrong. Lokesh's assurance is fine, but we need the expert committee report to be made public. Transparency is the only way to restore faith in the revival process.
Sad news. But I'm suspicious of the timing - just when the bailout package is announced, such a big accident happens. Someone somewhere cut corners. Lokesh and Naidu should ensure that the compensation reaches families within days, not months. Also, the injured workers need the best medical care, no expense spared.
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