Three Engineers Killed in Blast at Ramgarh Steel Factory, Management Faces Negligence Allegations

Three engineers were killed and a worker was seriously injured after a powerful blast triggered a fire at a sponge-iron factory in the Hehal area of Barkakana, under Patratu block of Ramgarh district, late Friday night.

The incident took place at Maa Chhinnamastika Cement and Ispat Private Limited during the night shift. According to preliminary information, the blast occurred in the power plant while production work was underway. The explosion was followed by a major fire, leaving workers in panic as they rushed to safety.

The three engineers died after suffering severe burn injuries. The deceased have been identified as 50-year-old Sanjeev Kumar Kesari, a shift in-charge and resident of Ranchi; 25-year-old Vineet Mahto of Jageshwar Bihar, Bokaro; and 24-year-old Abhishek Pandey of Garhwa.

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A worker, identified as Tarun Rajwar from Hazaribagh, also sustained serious injuries in the incident. He was admitted to The Hope Hospital on Ranchi Road for treatment.

### Fire brought under control after several fire tenders deployed

After receiving information about the blast, factory officials and police reached the site late at night. Four to five fire tenders were brought from Ramgarh to control the flames. The fire was eventually brought under control.

The incident triggered concern among local residents, with a large number of villagers gathering outside the factory gate from Saturday morning. Family members and local people were preparing to block the factory gate, demanding compensation and jobs for the dependants of the deceased engineers.

### Overheating suspected, management faces questions

Questions have also been raised over the safety arrangements at the factory. Power plant unit in-charge Anurag Tripathi reportedly said that overheating in the plant led to the incident and alleged that the management had failed to take adequate preventive measures.

He said repeated requests had been made to install air-conditioning equipment in the affected area to keep the temperature under control. The allegation has raised concerns over whether proper safety and temperature-control measures were in place during production operations.

Police and the factory management are expected to investigate the circumstances that led to the blast. The exact cause of the explosion and whether any safety norms were violated will become clear after a detailed inquiry.