1 Jalna unit blast victim succumbs to burns

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: One of the 34 workers injured in a furnace blast inside a steel factory in Jalna succumbed to 98% burns at a private hospital in the city on Sunday morning. The deceased has been identified as Ramshresth Bhaturam.Out of the 34 injured, 19 were seriously injured and seven were shifted to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar due to severe burns on Saturday afternoon. The remaining workers were shifted to a local hospital in Jalna.While six workers are still undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city, the hospital administration said the condition of the three of them is highly critical."All seven admitted workers have received over 90% burn injuries. While one of them has died, three others are battling for their lives, having suffered around 98% burn injuries each," a representative of the hospital administration told TOI.A day after the incident, different political leaders visited the factory in question at Jalna.During his visit, Jalna Member of Parliament (MP) Kalyan Kale from the Congress party said govt authorities must act swiftly to ensure industrial safety. "Such industrial tragedies are not new to Jalna. Authorities must ensure all safety protocols are followed in letter and spirit to avoid the loss of innocent lives," he said.The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve, also paid a visit to the accident site. He said factory owners must take the onus of industrial safety. "I am taking up the issue with state industries minister Uday Samant. Govt must prevail upon factory owners and authorities to ensure desired safety standards are fulfilled," he said.