VSP blast: bodies of victims charred beyond recognition

Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the mortuary of Visakha Steel General Hospital on Monday evening as the families gathered to identify their loved ones killed in a blast that occurred after tonnes of hot liquid steel spilled on the shop floor from a ladle at the SMS-1 unit of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) .

The flames that engulfed the entire area after the explosion claimed eight lives. As news of the accident spread, the families and the relatives of the victims rushed to the hospital. The Visakha Steel General Hospital was filled with cries of grief. Women collapsed on the ground, relatives hugged each other in despair as the sounds of mourning echoed through the hospital premises.

Among those waiting outside the mortuary was N. Appanna, whose brother Nakka Ramana was among the deceased. Mr. Appanna broke down repeatedly while speaking to the fellow workers and relatives.

“My brother has been working in the steel plant for the last 25 years. We never imagined something like this would happen. It is devastating,” he said.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha and MP M. Sribharat speaking to the officials of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant after the accident on Monday.
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Special Arrangement

Mr. Appanna, also an employee of the VSP, was assigned to a different shift on Monday.

Ramana’s sister Vijaya was inconsolable. “I could not even recognise my brother. Only his legs were visible. I cannot believe he is no more,” she said.

A few feet away, Naresh stood silently. His brother, Bhanu Kumar, who had been working in the steel plant for the past eight years, died in the blast.

Several family members said the bodies had been burnt beyond identification.

Steel Plant Police Station Inspector E. Kesava Rao confirmed that eight people had died. He was seen requesting the grieving families to cooperate with the inquest procedures and post-mortem examination process, assuring them that all formalities would be completed as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed outside the hospital as large numbers of VSP workers, representatives of employees’ unions and political leaders gathered. Many expressed anger over the alleged longstanding safety concerns associated with the plant.

Several workers claimed that inadequate maintenance, manpower shortages and increasing workloads may have contributed to the accident. According to them, the section where the blast occurred once had nearly 2,000 workers, but currently has only around 700 personnel.

The situation briefly turned tense when YSRCP district president K.K. Raju and party leaders questioned the officials about the delay in announcing the names of the deceased and the absence of the senior management representatives at the hospital.

A verbal exchange ensued between the leaders and police personnel before Inspector Kesava Rao clarified that the names would be released only after official confirmation and completion of identification procedures.

YSRCP leader and former Minister Gudivada Amarnath alleged negligence on the part of the State government. He expressed concern over the reduction in resources, manpower shortages and layoffs, stating that such measures could have increased pressure on the workforce and affected the safety standards.

Mr. Amarnath demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the incident and fix accountability.