Steel plant blast: Minister reaches Bhilai; AIIMS doctors dispatched

Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh on October 10 reached Chhattisgarh's Durg district to take stock of the situation at the Bhilai Steel Plant where an explosion took place on October 9, and promised to offer all possible help to the victims and their families.

"Reached Bhilai to take stock of the situation after the coke oven blast yesterday. We are ensuring that we extend all possible help to the families who lost their member yesterday and provide best treatment to the injured," the Minister said in a Tweet.

An explosion took place at the state-owned steel maker Steel Authority of India Limited's (SAIL) Bhilai plant, leaving nine dead and 14 injured.

Centre dispatches four doctors from AIIMS
Four burns specialist doctors from AIIMS Delhi have been rushed to Bhilai for treatment of the injured.

Based on the advice of the AIIMS burns specialists, the line of treatment is being followed and administered.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda spoke to the state government and assured them of all support, a source from the ministry said.

The team of doctors was led by Maneesh Singhal, a professor and the head of the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.

"Out of the injured, three are serious and in a critical condition. One person is on watch and the others are being given treatment for various stages of burn injuries," the statement said, and added that the Ministry has ordered an internal as well as an external inquiry into the accident and concerned officers are also reaching Bhilai to take stock of the situation.

Minister of State for Steel Vishnudeo Sai, Steel Secretary Binoy Kumar and SAIL Chairman Anil Kumar Chaudhary had reached to Bhilai last evening and visited the hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured.