Bhilai Steel Plant blast: CEO removed, two other officials suspended

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bilai Steel Plant was removed and two other senior officials were suspended on Wednesday, a day after a blast at the plant which claimed the lives of 11 employees.

This was stated by Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh after visiting the injured employees of the plant at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Hospital in Bhilai town, located around 30 km from Raipur.

On Tuesday, nine people had died and 14 others were injured in the gas pipeline blast at the plant of the state-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in Durg district.

Of the 14 injured people admitted to the burns unit of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Hospital in Bhilai, two succumbed Tuesday late night, a public relations officer of the Bhilai Steel Plant earlier told PTI.

CEO M Ravi has been removed with immediate affect while General Manager (safety department) T Pandya Raja and Deputy General Manager (energy department) Naveen Kumar have been suspended, Birender Singh told reporters.