Three more die in Jharkhand factory blast, toll rises to 5
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HAZARIBAG: Three more workers, who were seriously injured after an explosion in a steel plant in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district, died on Wednesday, an official said.
The death toll in the blast rose to five.
Two workers of the factory had died on Tuesday when the explosion occurred in an induction furnace of the plant at Barhi, the official said.
"Altogether seven workers were injured in the blast. While two of them died yesterday, three others succumbed today," Hazaribag Deputy Commissioner Nancy Sahay told PTI.
She said that the condition of two other injured who are in a Hazaribag hospital is stated to be stable.
Barhi police station in-charge Chandra Sekhar Kumar said one person died during treatment in Hazaribag on Tuesday, while four workers were referred to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
One of the four died on the way to RIMS late Tuesday evening, while three others succumbed to their injuries there.
The BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash demanded registration of criminal cases against the factory owners and suspension of the factory inspector concerned.
“This is not just an accident but the result of negligence of the factory owners and factory inspectors towards safety standards. This is a heinous crime,” said Prakash, a former state BJP president.
He also wrote a letter to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren demanding action against the factory owners and the inspector.
Health Minister Banna Gupta, who visited the site on Tuesday, said prima facie it seemed that laws were violated in the factory.
"Many employees including the supervisor were seen without safety gear. I have spoken to the deputy commissioner in this regard and the matter will be taken up with the labour secretary," he said.