RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug.10: As many as 11 sustained burn injuries after a pipe used for the flow of heated liquid raw material for the production of aluminum leaked at the HINDALCO plant in Muri, about 50km from the Jharkhand capital.
“Out of 11 injured, two are supervisors while the remaining others are labourers. They have been admitted at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for proper treatment,” a locality resident said, informing about the incident.
General Manager (media relations) of the company, Rajeev Kishore, confirmed the incident saying it was a minor accident.
“The leakage took place after a valve attached with the pipe got broken. Injuries are minor. Those sustained injuries have been released from the hospital after treatment,” Kishore said confirming the incident.
An insider supported Kishore but at the same time said that the accident would have been avoided if management had listened to workers.
“The diameter of the pipe was 12 inches. It was being used for the flow of slurry waste at the temperature of 250 degrees celsius. Leakage had developed in it many days ago but it was somehow used by wrapping a sack. Workers had informed about the same to management but apparently, it was not taken seriously and an accident took place,” the insider said.
“This is not the first time an accident has taken place in the company. Earlier on April 10, 2019 an accident had taken place due to a technical fault of the company. In the accident, a red mud pond had collapsed and spread in a 1.5km area damaging crops. Many earthmovers had got buried under red mud in the accident,” the insider added.
