Curtorim blast: Firm told to submit report on furnace

MARGAO, NOV 16
The Chief Inspector of Factories and Boilers have asked the Mormugao Steel Ltd Curtorim to submit a report on the maintenance of the furnace which witnessed a blast late Monday night.
The direction was issued to the management of MSL factory on Tuesday as the Chief Inspector of Factories and Boilers S M Paranjape inspected the factory this morning to assess the reason behind the furnace blast.
“I think there’s something wrong with the furnace causing the blast. The Management has claimed that the furnace was maintained on a regular basis. But, I have asked for the maintenance report as part of the probe into the incident”, Paranjape said.
According to Paranjape, the blast in the electric furnace might have occurred when waters from the electric coil came in contact with molten metal. “We have to investigate how the water from the coil came in contact with the molten metal”, he added.
Fortunately, the workers who were rushed to Hospicio hospital stands discharged after being treated for the injuries sustained after the blast. Though the blast shook the neighbourhood, there was no major damage caused to the factory premises, unlike the furnace blast in the Cuncolim Industrial estate.
Meanwhile, the Maina Curtorim police has said that action against the management of the MSL will be initiated only after receiving a report form the Chief Inspector of Factories and Boilers. “We have recorded the statements of the workers working in the factory at the time of the blast. A case of accident has been registered so far”, PI Sidhant Shirodkar said, adding that the course of further investigations into the furnace blast will be based on the report from the Factories and boilers.
PI Shidodkar along with Margao Sub-divisional police officer, DySP Umesh Gaonkar visited MSL on Tuesday noon to assess the situation.