Vizag Steel Plant Tragedy Leaves Nine Dead, Six Critically Injured

A devastating accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant on Monday evening claimed the lives of nine workers and left six others seriously injured, triggering grief across Andhra Pradesh and raising fresh concerns about safety practices in one of India's largest steel manufacturing facilities.

The accident occurred at around 4:15 pm inside the plant's Steel Melting Shop (SMS) , where workers were engaged in routine production operations. According to preliminary reports, a crane carrying a vessel filled with molten steel suffered a malfunction, causing the superheated metal to spill onto workers standing nearby. The molten steel was reportedly at a temperature of nearly 1,600 degrees Celsius , making the incident particularly catastrophic.

Plant personnel and emergency response teams rushed to the site immediately after the accident and launched rescue operations. However, the intensity of the heat and the extent of the burns proved fatal for several workers. Authorities later confirmed that nine workers had lost their lives, making it one of the deadliest industrial accidents in the history of the steel plant.

Six injured workers — Ravuri Mallikarjuna Rao, P. Srinivasa Rao, Arjun Appa Rao, G. Suribabu, Pydiraju, and S. Satyanarayana — were shifted to hospitals in Visakhapatnam, including KIMS Hospital and Seven Hills Hospital , where they are undergoing treatment. Hospital sources indicated that some of them remain in critical condition.

Officials have not yet released the names of the deceased workers. Reports suggest that the victims suffered severe burn injuries, complicating the process of identification. Authorities are carrying out necessary procedures before officially confirming their identities and informing family members.

District Collector M. Abhishek Kishore said the administration was closely monitoring the situation and ensuring that the injured received the best possible medical care. Rescue and relief efforts continued for several hours after the incident.

The tragedy drew condolences from leaders across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the families of each deceased worker and ₹50,000 to those injured. He also wished a speedy recovery to the survivors.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu described the incident as deeply distressing and said he had directed officials to coordinate relief measures and provide all necessary assistance to the affected families. No separate compensation package from the state government had been announced at the time of writing.