Tragedy Strikes Jharkhand's Sponge Iron Plant: One Dead, Six Injured in Furnace Explosion

One person was killed and six others injured in an explosion at an induction furnace in a sponge iron plant in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district on Tuesday, according to local police.

The tragic incident occurred in the Barhi police station area, located approximately 135 km from Ranchi. Barhi police station in-charge, Chandra Sekhar Kumar, confirmed that one of the injured later succumbed to injuries. The cause of the explosion remains unknown, and authorities are investigating whether more individuals are trapped.

Barhi sub-divisional officer Johan Tudu announced that a probe committee would be formed and the culprits would face consequences. State health minister Banna Gupta, who visited the site, indicated that there appeared to be multiple violations of factory and labour laws. 'Many employees, including the supervisor, were seen without safety gear. I have spoken to the deputy commissioner regarding this issue and will also address it with the labour secretary,' he said.

(With inputs from agencies.)