The demand was raised during the visit of Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh to the hospital, where he met the injured workers and bereaved families following the fatal industrial disaster that occurred on Monday at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)-run Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
According to preliminary reports, the accident occurred inside Steel Melt Shop-1 when a sudden explosion triggered a massive fire and led to the collapse of a ladle carrying molten steel heated to approximately 1,500 to 1,600 degrees Celsius. The collapse trapped workers inside the facility, resulting in the deaths of at least eight employees and injuries to six others.
During Lokesh's visit, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary Srinivasa Rao and leaders of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) strongly questioned the government's decision to announce compensation of Rs 25 lakh for each deceased worker's family, demanding that the amount be increased to Rs 1 crore.
Srinivasa Rao argued that previous governments had announced compensation of Rs 1 crore in major industrial disasters and questioned why a lower amount was being offered in the present case. He accused both the government and plant management of ignoring repeated warnings regarding critical safety concerns at the steel plant.
He alleged that workers, engineers and trade unions had repeatedly raised concerns over deteriorating machinery, shortages of skilled personnel and the use of poor-quality raw materials. According to him, these warnings were consistently ignored despite growing concerns about operational safety.
Describing the incident as more than an accidental occurrence, Srinivasa Rao stated that workers and engineers had repeatedly highlighted the need for machinery upgrades while warning against reductions in skilled manpower. He maintained that the failure to address these issues contributed to the disaster.
As the demands intensified, Lokesh sought to reassure the affected families and union representatives, stating that the government was committed to providing long-term assistance beyond financial compensation. He said the administration had not come merely to distribute compensation and leave, but would continue to stand by the families and extend support whenever required.
Despite these assurances, trade union representatives maintained that compensation alone could not address the gravity of the tragedy. They demanded accountability and alleged that severe manpower shortages at the public-sector steel plant had compromised workplace safety.
Union leaders further claimed that the latest incident was the third major accident at the facility in recent years. They accused the management of prioritising production targets over worker safety and alleged that critical safety systems and preventive measures had been neglected.
Rejecting proposals for an internal investigation, both the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions called for an independent inquiry conducted by metallurgical experts from institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and retired industry specialists. Srinivasa Rao described an internal investigation as inadequate and insisted that an external expert committee was necessary to identify the exact causes of the disaster and recommend corrective measures.
CITU State Secretary Nageswara Rao alleged that standard operating procedures had been ignored and claimed that workers were being pressured to increase production without sufficient manpower, training or equipment modernisation. He asserted that the incident should not be treated merely as an accident and demanded that those responsible be identified and held accountable.
While trade unions continued to attribute the disaster to staff shortages and alleged failures in safety management, the Union Steel Ministry moved swiftly by ordering an inquiry into the accident. The ministry has also constituted an external investigation panel to determine the precise cause of the explosion, fire and subsequent collapse inside the steel plant.
The tragedy has intensified scrutiny of industrial safety standards at one of India's major public-sector steel facilities. With grieving families seeking justice, unions demanding accountability and authorities initiating multiple investigations, the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant accident has emerged as a significant test of workplace safety governance and industrial responsibility.
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