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Six labourers killed, five critical after fly ash leak at Chhattisgarh steel plant

Most of victims were migrants from Bihar, incident occurred at sponge iron manufacturing unit in in Chhattisgarh’s Balodabazar-Bhatapara district.

2 min readRaipurUpdated: Jan 22, 2026 03:14 PM IST

Six labourers were killed and five were critically injured after fly ash at an extremely high temperature leaked from the fifth floor of a steel plant and fell on 11 labourers in Chhattisgarh’s Balodabazar-Bhatapara district Thursday morning.

The incident took place at around 9.40 am in the sponge iron manufacturing unit of an industrial plant belonging to Real Ispat and Power Ltd in Bakulahi village in the Bhatapara rural area, the district’s Collector Deepak Soni said. Most of those killed are from Bihar, while the injured are from Bihar and Jharkhand, the police said.

According to preliminary information, the exhaust kiln unit, where residual material such as fly ash is generated, malfunctioned. “The malfunction is being investigated. Due to it, a very high temperature of fly ash leaked from the fifth floor. Eleven construction labourers were at the site. Six are dead and five are critically injured. There’s a lot of debris. The temperature was more than 500°C. The victims have died of heat injury, burn injury and suffocation. The injured have been taken to the burn centre in Bilaspur trauma care hospital,” said a police official.

Superintendent of Police, Baloda Bazar district, Bhavna Gupta said: “The five injured workers have been admitted to the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in Bilaspur. Our forensic team and industrial safety team are on the site. Rescue operations are going on. The plant and an adjoining kiln are being sealed”.

State Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal said he has spoken to the Collector and instructed officials to provide the best possible treatment to those injured. He also directed the Collector to investigate the incident thoroughly and ensure swift and strict action against those responsible. The minister expressed deep grief over the accident, saying that the state government would provide all necessary assistance to those affected.

Jayprakash S Naidu

Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More

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