ONE KILLED IN BLAST AT MANDI GOBINDGARH FURNACE UNIT

MANDI GOBINDGARH : A migrant labourer from Bihar was killed while two others were injured in a blast in an iron furnace unit in the industrial area here on Monday.

The deceased was identified as Shaym Dev, 20, a resident of Sitamarhi of Bihar, and the injured were identified as Bali Ram, 30, and Roshan Kumar, 22, also residents of Bihar. They have sustained serious burn injuries and have been shifted to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, in a critical condition.

The blast took place in the premises of the Punjab Furnaces, located on the Amloh road. “As labourers heard the sound of the blast, they rushed to the site. A rescue operation was launched immediately, but one labourer died due to burns on the spot, while two others were rushed to the hospital,” said Brajesh, another labourer.

Kanwaljit Singh Sandhu, station house officer (SHO), Mandi Gobindgarh police station, said the unit used to remodel hot iron. When a crane was lifting hot iron, the steel wire of the crane snapped and the hot iron mass fell causing a blast.

He said that prima facie it has been found that it was not a case of negligence, but an industrial accident.

However, the police will probe the matter, and register a case as per rules. He said that the industry departement has been informed to check whether safety measures were properly taken by the furnace owner or not.

Mandi Gobindgarh is an iron industry hub of Punjab. Last year, a blast in a furnace unit killed three labourers. There hav been several incidents of industrial negligence in the past, but no concrete action has been taken by the department against the erring business entities.