Three workers die at sponge iron factory in Angul

Bhubaneswar: Three workers died at a sponge iron factory in Odisha’s Angul district in a suspected case of suffocation, officials said Tuesday.

The deceased were identified as Sridhar Baghel, Pintu Kumar and Mangal Majhi, all residents of Sundargarh district. They were found unconscious late Monday in the cooling unit of the factory and rushed to a hospital in Hindol, where doctors declared them dead.

Police said they visited the factory, located in the Nisha police station area, and began an investigation into the incident.

Angul’s Additional District Magistrate Pratap Pritimaya said the circumstances surrounding the handling of the victims were also under investigation.

“If any criminal negligence is found, appropriate action will be taken,” he said, noting that the workers were taken to a hospital in neighbouring Dhenkanal district instead of a nearer healthcare facility.

A detailed probe will be conducted, and compensation will be provided to the families of the deceased as per norms, officials said.

Preliminary findings suggest suffocation as the likely cause of death, though the exact reason will be confirmed after post-mortem examinations, they said, adding that a safety audit of the factory will be conducted within the next 15 days.