Chennai: An iron ore boiler in a smelting unit at Uthiramerur in Kancheepuram burst injuring eight employees of the unit. While three of them died in hospital, one was rushed to a government hospital in Chennai with over 90 per cent burns, and four others were in the Intensive care unit of a private hospital here.
According to sources, the smelting unit employed nearly 300 people in two shifts. The unit picked up scrap iron and smelted them into new blocks for industrial units in the area. As the burner needs to stay at a high temperature and it takes longer to get the temperature to, it is rarely allowed to cool down. Sources say that though the employees were all working with melted metal ore, they do not regularly wear the prescribed safety gear. The workers were mostly migrant workers from other states, and it is unclear if the unit had registered their details with the labour department.
Four of the injured, who reportedly were brought to the medical college with over 90 per cent burns, were immediately referred to the Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai. While Abilesh (34), Surendhar (24) and Sarchu (28) died early on Friday morning without responding to the treatments, Dinesh (28) is still in the ICU at KMC with over 92 per cent burns. The other four, though not fatally injured, were admitted to the private medical college hospital.
The Perunagar police registered a case and have begun inquiries. It is unclear if the unit's owners have the details of the victims or their families in Uttar Pradesh.
