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The Chhattisgarh Government has sealed 1 of the kilns astatine a alloy works successful Balodabazar-Bhatapara district, wherever an detonation killed six workers, aft a preliminary probe recovered superior violations successful the information norms, officials said connected Friday (January 23, 2026).
Workers, astir of them from Bihar and Jharkhand, were charred to decease successful the blast that occurred astatine Real Ispat and Power Ltd, successful Bakulahi colony connected Thursday (January 22, 2026) morning.
On the orders of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, authorities ordered an contiguous prohibition connected the cognition and attraction of kiln no. 1 astatine the alloy works nether the Factories Act aft a preliminary probe revealed superior lapses, a authorities connection said.
According to the statement, the detonation took spot connected the 2nd level of the dust-settling enclosure of kiln no. 1 during attraction work. The abrupt blast, followed by a ablution of blistery ash — astatine temperatures ranging betwixt 850 and 900°C — killed six workers connected the spot and earnestly injured 5 others.
A associated squad of lawman directors and officers from the Industrial Health and Safety Department inspected the factory, took photos and videos of the mishap tract successful the beingness of representatives of the mill management, it said.
The preliminary probe suggested that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were not followed.
"Workers were made to transportation retired high-risk operations without shutting down the kiln, the hydraulic descent gross of the dust-settling enclosure was not closed, due enactment permits were not issued, regular attraction was lacking, and mandatory information cogwheel specified arsenic heat-resistant aprons, information shoes and helmets was not provided. Adequate information grooming and supervision were besides absent," the connection said.
The probe suggested that manufacturing and attraction activities astatine kiln no. 1 posed an "imminent danger". Consequently, nether conception 40(2) of the Factories Act, 1948, each operations and attraction enactment related to the kiln person been prohibited, it said.
The prohibition volition stay successful spot until the mill absorption ensures that information measures are enforced and submits certified compliance documents.
The bid besides mandates that each workers beryllium paid their owed wages and allowances during the prohibition period, it added.
The mill management, meanwhile, has announced compensation of Rs 20 lakh each to families of the deceased workers and ₹5 lakh each to the injured, different connection said connected Friday (January 23, 2026).
Besides, the families of the deceased volition person an mean of ₹10 lakh from the Employees' Compensation Fund and an mean of ₹15 lakh successful pension benefits implicit the coming years from the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
Injured workers volition besides person a subsistence allowance done ESIC until they are acceptable to resume work, it said.
The deceased workers were identified arsenic Vinay Bhuiya (39), Badri Bhuiya (52), Sundar Bhuiya (49), Shravan Bhuiya (22), Jitendra Bhuiya (37) and Rajdev Bhuiya (22), each residents of Gotibandh colony successful Bihar, it said.
The injured see Ramu Bhuiya (37) and Kalphu Bhuiya (45) of Gotibandh colony successful Bihar, and Sarafat Ansari (32), Mumtaz Ansari (26) and Sabir Ansari (34), residents of Rajhara colony successful Jharkhand, it added.
The injured workers were admitted to the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) successful Bilaspur connected Thursday (January 22, 2026). One of them was aboriginal referred to Raipur for further treatment, an authoritative successful Balodabazar said.
A squad headed by the sub-divisional magistrate, comprising officials from the Industry Department, Industrial Health and Safety, constabulary and Revenue Departments, has been probing the incident, helium added.
