YSRCP Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy to meet victims of Visakhapatnam Steel plant accident
Amaravati, June 9
Former Chief Minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Visakhapatnam on June 10 to meet the victims of the Visakhapatnam Steel plant accident.
According to the YSRCP state office, Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and the injuries sustained by several workers. He has been continuously monitoring the situation through senior party leaders and has directed them to extend immediate support to the affected families while ensuring the injured receive the best possible medical care.
During his visit, Jagan Mohan Reddy will personally visit the hospitals to enquire about the health of the injured workers and offer them moral support.
Earlier, the tragedy occurred on Monday after a large quantity of molten steel reportedly leaked from the SMS-2 and STC-3 heat facility of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, resulting in the deaths of eight workers and injuries to several others.
Following the incident, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 10 lakh each for the injured employees.
"My heartfelt prayer to God to give strength to their family members who have succumbed to this injury. I request all our employees who are working here, don't panic. We are with you," Kumaraswamy said.
He also announced that families of the deceased would be allowed to continue residing in their quarters until the employee's notional retirement age and that financial assistance would be provided for their children's education.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced financial assistance from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh will be provided to the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured will receive Rs 50,000.
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan visited the injured victims who were seriously hurt in the steel plant accident at Visakhapatnam KIMS Hospital, along with their family members. He inquired about the manner in which the accident occurred. He questioned the doctors regarding the health condition of the injured.
He assured the victims that the entire cost of the medical treatment would be borne by the government and that support would be extended in every possible way.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Heartbreaking to see families losing their loved ones in such tragic accident. 🙏 Pawan Kalyan's assurance of full medical cost coverage is good, but why didn't safety measures prevent this? Both union and state governments must investigate thoroughly and hold the responsible to account.
Rs 2 lakh from PM fund, Rs 25 lakh from union minister - when someone loses their life, no amount of money can replace them. But at least the govt is taking steps. Jagan ji giving moral support is good too. Hope this pushes for better worker safety standards in all steel plants.
Sad news indeed. 🙏 But I wonder why YSRCP chief is only visiting now? Should have come earlier. Anyway, glad the victims are getting support from all sides - PM, union minister, state deputy CM. Especially appreciate the education assistance for the children and keeping quarters till retirement age.
This is tragic. My heart goes out to the families. 🔥 But we need to ask serious questions - why did molten steel leak? Was maintenance neglected? Workers' lives are more important than production targets. Hope Jagan ji's visit leads to real action on safety audits across all industries.
Having worked in industrial safety in the US, this is a recurring issue globally. India needs stronger enforcement of safety protocols, not just after accidents. The compensation packages announced are decent, but prevention should be the focus. Good to see political leaders from all sides showing solidarity though.
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