Vizag Tragedy Aid Sparks Heated Exchange Between Nara Lokesh, Left Leaders

A tense exchange broke out at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday as Left party leaders and trade union representatives demanded Rs 1 crore compensation for families of workers killed in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant accident on Monday.

The demand was raised during Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh's visit to the hospital, with Lokesh defending the state government's response and assured long-term support for the victims' families.

On Monday at least 8 workers were killed and six were injured in a freak accident at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)-run Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

According to preliminary reports, a sudden explosion inside Steel Melt Shop-1 triggered a fire and the collapse of a ladle carrying molten steel heated to nearly 1,500-1,60O degrees Celsius, trapping workers inside the facility.

CPM State Secretary Srinivasa Rao and CITU leaders confronted Lokesh at the hopsital, demanding immediate enhancement of compensation from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore for each deceased worker's family.

"Previous governments announced Rs 1 crore compensation in major industrial accidents. Why only Rs 25 lakh now?" Srinivasa Rao asked, accusing the government and plant management of failing to address long-pending safety concerns.

The CPM leader alleged that workers, engineers and unions had repeatedly warned management about worn out machinery, shortage of skilled manpower and poor-quality raw materials.

"This is not a casual accident. Workers and engineers repeatedly stated that the machinery needed upgrading and skilled workers were being reduced. Those warnings were ignored," he said.

As Left leaders continued pressing their demands, Lokesh sought to calm the situation and reassure grieving families.

"We have not come here merely to hand over compensation and leave. The government will stand by these families for long term and extend support whenever required," Lokesh told the leaders and the gathering.

However, union representatives insisted that financial compensation alone was not enough and demanded accountability. Trade unions also alleged manpower shortages at the public-sector steel plant.

Union leaders claimed this was the third major accident in recent years and accused management of prioritising production over safety.

Both CPM and CITU leaders rejected the proposal for an internal inquiry and demanded an independent investigation by metallurgical experts from institutions such as IITs and retired industry specialists.

"The internal committee is a mere eyewash. We need an external expert committee to identify what went wrong and recommend corrective measures," Srinivasa Rao said.

CITU State Secretary Nageswara Rao alleged that standard operating procedures (SOPs) had been ignored and that workers were being pushed to increase output without adequate manpower, training or equipment upgrades.

"It is not merely an accident. Those responsible must be identified and held accountable," he said.

While unions blamed staff shortages and alleged neglect of safety systems, the Union Steel Ministry has ordered an inquiry into the accident.

The ministry has also constituted an external investigation panel to determine the exact cause.