A blast on Tuesday at the Bhilai Steel Plant of state-owned SAIL in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district killed 9 people and injured 14 others said police. The explosion took place around 10:45 am in a gas pipeline connected to the coke oven section of the plant, this plant is around 30 km away from the state capital.

“Five of the injured are very serious and are admitted in the district hospital. The figures (of the dead) could rise,” inspector general of police (Durg Range) GP Singh said. “We are waiting for the post-mortem report of the bodies and after that, we will register a case under section 304 (— causing death by negligence — and start the investigation,” said Singh.

“There was an uneven pressure in the gas pipeline for last two days and it needed to be attended,” said SP Dey, who is the Bhilai unit president of Centre for Indian Trade Union. “The maintenance was to be done as per the protocol but when the joints in the pipeline were opened, the blast took place leading to fire”.

“The explosion took place about 40 feet above the ground and all the employees including the protocol workers sustained injuries. Nine of them died on the spot,” said Puran Lal, an eyewitness who was minorly injured due to the incident.

“Most of the bodies could only be identified through a DNA test,” said Dey.

In June 2014, six persons, including two deputy general managers, were killed and many others affected when a poisonous gas leaked in the plant, he said.

The Union Minister of State for Steel Vishnudeo Sai has set up a four-member high-level committee to investigate the incident. Also said that compensation will be given to families of the deceased.

Anandiben Patel, governor of Chhattisgarh and CM Raman Singh condoled the death of employees and wished for fast recovery of the injured. “I extend my deepest condolence to the family members of the deceased,” Patel said in her condolence message.

As per SAIL’s website, the Bhilai Steel Plant is India’s sole producer and supplier of world class rails for the Indian Railways.