Bhilai Steel Plant blast: Death toll rises to 11
Raipur, Oct 10 : Two employees, who were critically injured in an explosion at the Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in Chhattisgarh, succumbed to injuries at a hospital, taking the death toll in the blast to 11, an official said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, nine people had died and 14 others were injured in the gas pipeline blast at the plant of the state-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in Durg district, located around 30 km away from here.
Of the 14 injured people admitted to the burns unit of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Hospital in Bhilai, two succumbed Tuesday late night, a public relations officer of the Bhilai Steel Plant told PTI.
"The two had received over 80 per cent burns," he said, adding that a few other injured people were also in a critical condition.
The explosion had taken place in the gas pipeline connected to the coke oven section of the plant during a maintenance job, the SAIL had said.
Of the nine people who died on Tuesday, six worked in the plant's energy management department, while three were employees of its fire brigade unit, the official said.
Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh are scheduled to visit the hospital in Bhilai to see the injured people admitted there, an official said.
They will also take stock of the incident from the plant management and the Durg district administration.
Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) G P Singh had said earlier that after receiving the postmortem report of the deceased, a case under the Indian Penal Code Section 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) will be registered followed by an inquiry into the incident.
Union Minister of State for Steel Vishnudeo Sai had said Tuesday that a four-member high-level committee was constituted by SAIL to probe the incident.
Adequate compensation will be given to families of the deceased, Sai had said, adding that the injured were being provided the best possible medical treatment.
In June 2014, six persons, including two deputy general managers, were killed and many others affected when a poisonous gas leaked in the plant, he said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
