19 workers of a steel factory were injured - 10 of them seriously - when the boiler in which scrap metal was being melted exploded, at Kuppam, in Chittoor district, on Wednesday.
According to Inspector Amarnath, the mishap, which took place at Dhanya Steel Industries Pvt. Ltd., occurred after the boiler in which the scrap metal was being melted.
The explosion spewed molten steel at the 19 workers close to the spot. The seriously injured workers were rushed to Ushodaya Hospital in Bangalore, while 9 other workers, whose condition was stable, were shifted to a nearby hospital.
Preliminary investigations reveal that the explosion was caused by the boiler being overloaded with the scrap metal.
The factory melts the scrap to make steel rods, used in the construction of buildings.
Amarnath revealed that 18 workers out of the 19 hailed from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Krishna from Srikakulam was the lone local worker. He is stated to be out of danger.