Blast at Shivay Iron and Steel Plant in Ramgarh Triggers Panic; No Casualties Reported

Photo: RP

Rajrappa (Ramgarh): Panic gripped the area after a furnace blast at Shivay Iron and Steel Private Limited, located in Mayal Gawadevi village under the Rajrappa police station area of Ramgarh district, on Sunday morning. The plant management has denied any casualties in the incident.

According to information, the furnace reportedly exploded three to four times at around 7 am. The powerful blasts were heard several kilometres away, creating panic among residents in nearby areas.

Following the incident, operations at the plant were suspended. Workers who arrived for their shifts at around 9 am were also sent back.

Local villagers raised concerns over the plant's safety arrangements, claiming that there was no identification signboard at its main entrance. They also questioned whether the required safety standards were being properly followed.

Meanwhile, an employee who was present at the time of the incident, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that maintenance workers had detected a fault in the furnace a few days earlier and had advised against operating it. However, the furnace was reportedly restarted despite the warning, eventually leading to the blast.

Ghulam Rawani, a supervisor at Shivay Iron and Steel Private Limited, told this newspaper over the phone that the blast occurred due to a technical fault. He reiterated that no one was injured in the incident.

Rajrappa police station in-charge Krishna Kumar confirmed that the police had received information about the furnace blast and said an investigation was underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.