Panic gripped Power and Blowing Station-II (PBS-II) area of Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) after a major fire broke out at the unit around 10 am on Tuesday, leaving nearly 10 workers injured. According to initial reports, the fire erupted following a turbine blast, which caused flames to spread rapidly across the unit. Two regular employees and eight contract workers were caught in the blaze, triggering chaos at the site. With flames surrounding them and no clear escape route, the trapped workers attempted to save their lives by moving frantically across different levels of the structure. As smoke engulfed the area and visibility dropped, they climbed to the roof but found no way out. In a desperate bid to escape, the workers used electrical cables as makeshift support and jumped nearly 20 feet onto a tin shed below. Though they managed to save their lives, several sustained injuries in the process. Some workers suffered abrasions on their palms due to friction with the cables, while one employeereportedly sustained a fracture in his leg. The injured have been identified as Kirti Kumar Bhagat, Mahendra Kushwaha, Mahendra Jaiswal, Vaibhav, Omendra Kumar Tisda, Sushant, Manish, Avdhesh, and Shiv Mohan Tripathi.

 

Workers present at the site said they had climbed to an elevated area for maintenance work when the fire broke out, leaving them trapped. They managed to open a bundle of cables and tied it to a window, using it as a lifeline to descend one by one onto the tin shed below. The turbine explosion occurred while the workers were engaged in replacing a cooler. Soon after the incident, INTUC General Secretary Sanjay Sahu, along with CP Verma, Gurudev Sahu, and Puran Verma, reached the Main Medical Post and assisted in ensuring timely treatment and transfer of the injured to the hospital. Public Relation Department, BSP officials informed that a fire occurred today in STG-4 turbine at Bhilai Steel Plant, leading to smoke spreading in turbine hall. Upon receiving information, BSP’s fire services responded immediately, and fire brigade reached the spot bringing the fire under control. Employees present in the main switchgear room and control room were safely evacuated. There has been no loss of life in the incident. One contract employee has sustained a fracture in the leg. The situation is now fully under control. The cause of the incident is being investigated.