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Andhra Pradesh MoS Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma on Tuesday said eight people were killed and six others injured in the accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, adding that a three-member expert committee has been constituted to probe the incident and recommend measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the accident site, Srinivasa Varma said two of the injured workers remain in serious condition and that compensation and other benefits for the victims' families would be finalised soon. "Eight deaths and six injuries have been reported. Only two are in serious condition. The compensation amounts nearly to a benefit of Rs 1.7 crores for permanent employees and Rs 40 to 45 lakhs for temporary employees. Within a few days, we will make the decisions. We have already appointed a three-member expert committee. This morning they will come and start their work," he said. Earlier on Monday, Union Ministers HD Kumaraswamy and Ram Mohan Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha and MP Sribharat visited the steel plant to inspect the accident site and review the situation. The tragedy occurred on Monday after a large quantity of molten steel reportedly leaked from the SMS-2 and STC-3 heat facility of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, resulting in the deaths of eight workers and injuries to several others. Following the incident, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 10 lakh each for the injured employees. "My heartfelt prayer to God to give strength to their family members who have succumbed to this injury. I request all our employees who are working here, don't panic. We are with you," Kumaraswamy said. He also announced that families of the deceased would be allowed to continue residing in their quarters until the employee's notional retirement age and that financial assistance would be provided for their children's education. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced financial assistance from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh will be provided to the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured will receive Rs 50,000. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the incident with senior officials and directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured workers. (ANI)
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