19 injured in steam leak in Tata Steel's Meramundali steel plant

At least 19 persons sustained burn injuries in a steam leak at Tata Steel's Meramandali plant in Odisha's Dhenkanal district on Tuesday, police said. The injured persons were immediately rushed to a private hospital in Cuttack.

The accident occurred after a steam leak. Workers and engineers, who were inspecting the blast furnace, were injured. Dhenkanal SP Gyanaranjan Mohapatra said that around 19 persons were injured in the incident.

However, a Tata Steel spokesperson said 17 persons suffered burn injuries, including one who was described as serious. Tata Steel, in a statement, said the accident took place at around 1 PM during the course of the inspection work and has affected a few people working at the site.

The injured persons were immediately shifted to the Occupational Health Centre inside the plant premises and then to Cuttack for further treatment, as a precautionary measure, in the Company's ambulance, accompanied by doctor and paramedics, the statement added.

All emergency protocols were activated and the area has been cordoned off, the steel major said.

"We are working closely with relevant authorities on ground and have initiated an internal investigation to ascertain the cause of the accident," the company said, adding that safety remains its top priority.