The death toll in the industrial accident at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), rose to 10 on Saturday following the death of another worker while undergoing treatment at the MGM Seven Hills Hospital.

The deceased was identified as Gokivada Suribabu, a contract worker, who had suffered severe burns in the accident at the Steel Melt Shop-1 (SMS-1) of the plant on June 8. He is survived by his wife Varalakshmi and their two children, Lokesh and Parimala.

TDP State president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao visited the bereaved family to offer his condolences.

Eight workers had lost their lives in the immediate aftermath of the accident, while another, identified as K. Paidiraju (53), succumbed to the burns on Wednesday.

The accident took place when a ladle containing approximately 150 tonnes of molten steel, heated to a temperature of around 1,500° C to 1,600° C, exploded. A preliminary investigation conducted by the Chief Inspector of Factories attributed the blast to the sudden release of entrapped gases within the molten steel before the ladle’s bottom slide gate was opened.

Shuffle of executives

Meanwhile, following an internal inquiry into the alleged operational and management lapses before and during the accident, the RINL management has placed 22 officers and workers under suspension.

The suspended personnel include General Managers, Deputy Managers, and operators primarily from the SMS-1 & SMS-2, which are core operational areas, and from the Quality Assurance Department that is under scrutiny over material standards and monitoring procedures. Two senior HR managers are among those suspended following widespread dissatisfaction over arrangements made to transport a deceased worker’s body to his native village.

The management has also ordered an immediate shuffle of several top executives to streamline the administrative response. Two General Managers have been moved to Coke Ovens and one to SMS department.

Notably, senior officials from the HR, Estates, and Township Maintenance wings have been deployed to the Coke Oven and SMS-1 to fill structural gaps and enforce safety protocols.

While the management claims that the transfers aim at boosting operational efficiency and morale, the trade unions, including CITU and INTUC, have protested, alleging that the reshuffle arbitrarily places experienced administrative staff into hazardous production zones without proper technical orientation, which, they say, adds to the psychological stress of the workforce. RINL officials have confirmed that SMS-1 has partially resumed production after a short shutdown.

Meanwhile, the three-member external expert committee, led by the Director in-charge of the Bokaro Steel Plant, is currently conducting an inquiry to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.