by Nagarnar, Jagdalpur – A devastating fire erupted on Monday morning at the NMDC Steel Plant in Nagarnar, approximately 15 kilometers from Jagdalpur. The incident occurred at 11 am, resulting in severe injuries to four employees. Among them, two are in critical condition and have been urgently referred for advanced medical care, while the other two are receiving treatment at Maharani Hospital.
The fire started during breaker maintenance work in the plant’s tunnel furnace, being carried out by employees from two private companies under NMDC’s contract. An NMDC official confirmed the explosion, which resulted from a short circuit. Senior Technician Tapas Nayak, Mahendra Kumar Lahare, Devendra Nag of Singh Enterprises, and Amarendra Kumar Chaudhary from a cement company involved in the maintenance work were badly burned. The sound of the explosion was heard over a wide area, causing panic among other employees who rushed to the scene. The injured workers were found in agony, with their faces and other parts of their bodies suffering burns from the sparks. Support staff quickly evacuated them to safety.
NMDC’s Deputy General Manager Rafiq Ahmed stated that the initial investigation revealed the incident occurred at a 415-volt power center where the four employees were working. It was their responsibility to switch off the power after completing the work, but hasty negligence led to the accident. As a result, Tapas Nayak has been sent to Visakhapatnam for treatment, and Mahendra Kumar Lahare has been referred to Raipur. The other two employees, Devendra Nag and Amarendra Kumar Chaudhary, are being treated at Maharani Hospital, where their conditions are now stable.
The incident underscores the risks associated with industrial maintenance work and highlights the need for stringent safety measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. Authorities are expected to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the short circuit and explosion.
