02.01.2013

Steel company attempts to hide fatal incident

A steel manufacturer in Dera Bassi, in the state of Punjab, India attempted to pass a fatal industrial lifting accident off as a road accident on Monday.

Two men Pintu Kumar, 17 and Vikas Kumar, 18, were crushed when a four tonne steel coil fell from an overhead crane after part of the lifting gear broke. Pintu died on the spot, while Vikas was rushed to hospital, where he died later that day.

The factory manager firstly claimed that the two were both over 18 and also registered the cause of the injuries as a road accident. Relatives objected when they were apparently pressurised to agree to the road accident cause.

Police were informed of the incident by the hospital and relatives and were then told that the incident was caused by negligence of the two men, but the faulty lifting gear was then recovered.

The police have now booked the company – Prerna Steel and its owner under the Indian Penal Code and investigations are on-going.