New Delhi: Nine employees were killed and 14 others injured on Tuesday in a blast at the Bhilai Steel Plant of state-owned SAIL in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district, police said.

The explosion took place around 10:30 AM in a gas pipeline connected to the coke oven section of the plant in Bhilai town, located around 30 km away from the capital, Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) G.P. Singh told PTI.

Superintendent of Police of Durg district Sanjeev Shukla said 9 people were killed in the incident.

Police have started a rescue operation as senior officers rushed to the spot after the blast.

As per preliminary information, over 24 employees were working at the spot when the accident occurred, he said.

Police personnel and a rescue team rushed to the spot, he said, adding that all the victims were being taken to a local hospital.

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“All of them are said to be serious and are admitted to the district hospital. The figures (of the dead) could rise in the next couple of hours.”, added G.P.Singh.

Rescue operation was still underway at the plant, operated by the state-run Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

Chhattisgarh: Visuals from outside a hospital in Bhilai; 6 people have died and 14 injured in a gas pipeline blast in Bhilai Steel Plant. pic.twitter.com/aQGFNr3LIg — ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2018

Congress MLA from Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh expressed his solidarity with the bereaved families by tweeting from his official twitter handle-

Deeply pained to hear about the tragic death of 6 people in Bhilai Steel Plant gas pipeline blast. We stand by the bereaved families in this hour of distress and urge the Govt to extend all possible help to the injured workers and wish them a speedy recovery. https://t.co/GCFnNbld23 — TS Singh Deo (@TS_SinghDeo) October 9, 2018

As reported by PTI, Union Minister of State for Steel Vishnudeo Sai said, “A four-member high-level committee has been constituted (by SAIL) to probe the incident.”

Adequate compensation will be given to the families of the deceased, Sai said, adding that the injured, admitted to the burns unit of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Hospital in Bhilai, are being provided the best possible medical treatment.

It said there was a fire in gas pipeline of Coke Oven Battery Complex No. 11 during a scheduled maintenance job. The fire has been controlled, the SAIL said.

Chhattisgarh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Raman Singh condoled the death of employees and wished for speedy recovery of the injured.

“I extend my deepest condolence to the family members of the deceased,” Patel said in her condolence message.

The Governor also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

The chief minister tweeted, “I am deeply pained over the incident at Bhilai Steel Plant. I pay my tribute to brothers who have lost their lives in the incident.

“I pray to god to give strength to the bereaved families and for speedy recovery of the injured.”

According to a New Indian Express report, last year in November, another blast took place at a National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited plant at Unchahar in Uttar Pradesh where death toll was reported to be 43 accompanied by several cases of fatal injuries.

Following the incident, as reported by Hindustan Times, a four member inquiry committee blamed it on the negligence of the operating staff.

Post that incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in June, 2018 dedicated the modernised and expanded Bhilai Steel Plant to the nation.

As per SAIL’s website, the Bhilai Steel Plant is India’s sole producer and supplier of world class rails for the Indian Railways, including 260 metre long rails, and a major producer of a large variety of wide and heavy steel plates and structural steel.

With an annual production capacity of 3.153 MT of saleable steel, the plant also specialises in other products such as wire rods and merchant products.

(With PTI inputs)