5 factory workers in critical condition after metal plate falls on them in Odisha

Jharsuguda: In another tragic incident, five workers were critically injured after a metal plate fell on seven of them at Orissa Metaliks Private Limited (OMPL) plant at Budhipadar in Jharsuguda district of Odisha today.

They were rushed to the nearest hospital by their colleagues while two others are still trapped. This is the second such incident in a month at the factory where a gas leak had claimed the life of a worker on August 6.

According to reports, the workers were on duty near the blast furnace when a large metal plate fell on seven of them. The incident occurred around 11 a.m.

As police arrived at the scene immediately after receiving information, chaos ensued at the factory with workers agitating over questionable safety standards at work.

The factory had hit the headlines last month when a worker died and six others were hospitalised in critical condition following a leak of toxic carbon monoxide in the pellet plant. The deceased worker has been identified as Barun Pradhan of Techbahal village in Lakhanpur block of the district.

The condition of the injured workers was stated to be critical and they were being treated in intensive care. After the incident, chaos broke out at the hospital, with workers claiming that repeated accidents at the factory in the past were due to alleged negligence by the authorities, which led to the deaths of several workers.