Fatal Industrial Accident: 6 Dead After Furnace Roof Collapse at Chhattisgarh Steel Plant

The injured individuals have been taken to the hospital for treatment, according to officials. (Representational)

In Raipur, a tragic industrial accident occurred on Friday at a private steel manufacturing facility, resulting in the deaths of four company officials and two workers. Additionally, six others, including a general manager, suffered injuries in the incident.

The accident happened at Godawari Power and Ispat Limited's plant located in the Siltara area on Raipur's outskirts, as confirmed by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lal Umed Singh to PTI. Police teams were dispatched to the location around 4:30 pm after receiving alerts, and rescue operations commenced immediately.

Additional Superintendent of Police Lakhan Patle explained the circumstances of the accident: "The furnace had been inactive for several days. Cleaning operations were underway using high-pressure water to remove the thick slag deposits on the furnace walls and roof. The accident occurred when these thick slag deposits suddenly collapsed, trapping several individuals underneath."

Rescue workers retrieved six bodies from the debris while six injured individuals were evacuated and transported to medical facilities for treatment.

A representative from the plant management stated that the incident took place around 3 pm. The injured were first taken to the on-site occupational health center before being transferred to hospital facilities.

The deceased have been identified as managers GL Prasanna Kumar and Kaligotla Prasanna Kumar, assistant managers Ghanshyam Ghomare and Nirakar Mallick, and helpers Tulsi Ram Bhatt and Narayan Sahu.

Among the injured were General Manager A Chakradhar Rao, Senior Technician Dipendra Mahato, Junior Technician Chandra Prakash Patel, and three additional workers.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed profound sorrow regarding the incident in an official statement. He directed officials to ensure the best possible medical care for those injured. The Chief Minister described the incident as "extremely painful and unfortunate," offering condolences to the families of the deceased while praying for peace for the departed souls and strength for the grieving families.