Fatalities in SAIL plants rise to 20 till August this year

Maximum number of fatalities were reported in the Bokaro steel plant of the PSU, where 6 employees died till Aug 20 this year

Fatalities in plants of Steel Authority of India (SAIL) have shot up to 20 in the current year so far as against a total of 27 in the last year.

Official sources said maximum number of fatalities were reported in the Bokaro steel plant of the PSU, where six employees died till August 20 this year.

Deaths in Bhilai Plant, which has won Prime Minister's Trophy for best Integrated Steel Plant for a record 10 times, rose to four from just one each in the previous two years and nil in 2010.

Three unfortunate deaths were reported in SAIL's two other major steel plants - Rourkela and Burnpur. Additionally, one died in the mines and the other one in the collieries. One fatality was reported at the Durgapur plant.

"The accidents at these plants have occurred due to reasons such as fall from height, gas poisoning, electrocution, burn injury, fire/explosion, etc," sources said.

There were 27 deaths in SAIL's various plants last year, 21 in 2011 and 33 in 2010, respectively.

Two persons died due to accidents in the other state-owned steel maker Rashtriya Ispat Nigam (RINL) till July this year.

Accidents claimed lives of 25 RINL employees last year, eight in 2011 and 10 in 2010, respectively.

Steel Ministry does not maintain data of such deaths in private sector firms as the sector is a deregulated one. More than 80% of the country's production though comes from the private sector.