Visakhapatnam Steel Plant accident: eight feared dead in ladle blast, fire at SMS-1

Official sources at the plant said that a major industrial accident occurred at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), operated by Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), around 4.40 pm on Monday evening, June 8, 2026, after a ladle carrying liquid steel exploded in Machine-2 of Continuous Casting Department (CCD) in the Steel Melting Workshop-1 (SMS-1) unit.

The explosion triggered a massive fire and hundreds of tons of molten steel spilled onto the workshop floor.

Preliminary reports indicate that the leak caused serious burn injuries to many workers at the site. It is estimated that eight of them died and six were seriously injured. The injured were identified as R. Mallikharjuna Rao, P. Srinivasa Rao, A. Appa Rao, Satyanarayana, G. Suribabu and Paıdıraju. They were admitted to corporate hospitals including KIMS, Seven Hills for emergency treatment.

The bodies were taken to King George Hospital (KGH) for autopsy.

Rescue continues

Dense smoke and flames trapped many workers in the workshop. Firefighters and rescue teams from the steel factory and Government offices arrived at the scene and worked until the evening to extinguish the flames and rescue the trapped workers.

Police said the molten metal was at about 1,600 degrees Celsius. The fee has not been officially confirmed yet.

CM, Ministers responded

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock and sorrow over the tragedy. In a post on X, Mr. Naidu said he was saddened by the loss of lives of so many workers.

Speaking to senior district and factory officials over the phone, Mr. Naidu reviewed the rescue operations and expressed regret over the reported deaths of workers. He instructed the authorities to ensure coordination among all government departments to expedite rescue efforts and provide the best medical care to the injured.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, who was on an official tour in neighboring Vizianagaram district when the accident occurred, interrupted her schedule and rushed to the steel plant in Visakhapatnam. On the way, he spoke to the authorities on the phone to assess the situation.

Her office said Ms. Anitha spoke to the Visakhapatnam District Collector and the city Police Commissioner and directed the officials to give better treatment to the injured and step up rescue and relief efforts.

Regional Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy and Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu also expressed their sorrow and asked the authorities to expedite aid and provide proper care to the injured.

Opposition wants investigation

Former Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy mourned the deaths and demanded a thorough investigation. He demanded strict action against those responsible and said worker safety should be the top priority in industrial units. He asked party workers in Visakhapatnam to help the affected families.

(With input from institutions)