Coal hopper collapses at Dalmia Bharat's Odisha cement plant, company says whereabouts of three workers uncertain

Coal hopper collapses at Dalmia Bharat's Odisha cement plant

A coal hopper being operated at Dalmia Bharat Ltd's subsidiary Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd's integrated cement plant in Rajgangpur, Odisha, collapsed late on January 16, with at least six workers trapped under the wreckage.

A statement from Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd said that the injured are being treated by the company, with some workers still unaccounted for.

"The accident occurred at around 6:00 pm on January 16 wherein the whereabouts of three
persons are yet to be ascertained. The injured have been provided immediately treatment and best medical care is being provided by the company," said a company spokesperson.

The statement added that the plant area has been cordoned off, and the plant's operations team, as well as local authorities, are engaged in rescue operations.

The coal hopper was being used to service a captive power plant at the facility. The company said in a statement that the coal hopper was being operated by a "third party vendor" contracted by the company. Local media reported that police and emergency services have arrived at the site, aiming to rescue the trapped workers.

The plant has a cement grinding capacity of more than 7 million tonne per annum (MTPA), as well as clinker capacity of around 6 MTPA. The plant's cement capacity constitutes around 16 percent of the company's overall cement capacity, with the company counting eastern India as a crucial market.