Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H. D. Kumaraswamy arrived in Visakhapatnam around 1 a.m. on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) to review the situation after an accident at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) Visakhapatnam steel plant that killed eight workers and injured six others.
On arrival, Mr. Kumaraswamy held discussions with senior RINL management and local officials to assess the accident and the relief work under way.
I travelled to Visakhapatnam immediately upon receiving information about the incident and reviewed the situation with senior officials. I also met the injured workers undergoing treatment and directed the management to ensure the best possible medical care and extend all… pic.twitter.com/XZGl0Meb2Z
He later visited KIMS Hospital at Sheelanagar, where the injured are being treated, asked about their condition and directed the hospital to give them the best care.
Mr. Kumaraswamy offered condolences to the families of the dead, and said the government would stand by the affected families.
Visited the hospital in Visakhapatnam to meet the workers injured in the unfortunate accident at the Steel Plant. Interacted with them and their family members, enquired about their well-being, and assured them of all possible support.
Directed the authorities to ensure the best… pic.twitter.com/dM1za0XQHp
“The safety and welfare of our workers in the steel sector remain paramount. We are ensuring a thorough investigation and will take all necessary steps to strengthen safety protocols across our operations to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.
Mr. Kumaraswamy announced ex-gratia of ₹25 lakh for the next of kin of each worker killed, in addition to their admissible terminal benefits. The Ministry also promised a permanent job to one eligible member of each family.
For the six injured workers, he announced ₹10 lakh each, and said RINL would meet all their medical expenses.
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The company would also support the education of the children of the dead and the injured, and continue welfare and rehabilitation help for the families.
RINL has begun an internal inquiry into the technical failure. The Ministry of Steel has set up a three-member independent inquiry committee headed by the Director-in-Charge of SAIL’s Bokaro Steel Plant. The committee will find the exact cause of the accident and recommend steps to improve safety at the plant.
The accident occurred around 4.15 p.m. on Monday (June 8, 2026), during operations at Caster-2 of Steel Melt Shop-1. Preliminary reports indicate that, as workers were preparing to pour hot crude steel from a ladle into the tundish, a severe explosion occurred before the slide gate could be opened. The blast set off a fire that engulfed Overhead Crane-2, causing the deaths and injuries. The molten steel, at over 1,500°C, made the rescue very difficult.
Published - June 09, 2026 11:31 am IST
Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam
Source: The Hindu - India News
