Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 14 (ANI): One worker was killed and seven others were injured after a giant boiler exploded at a private metal smelting factory in the Gummidipoondi SIPCOT industrial complex near Partha Palayam village in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district on Tuesday, police said.

According to Tiruvallur Police, the deceased has been identified as Ravi Ranjan, a native of Bihar, who died on the spot after sustaining severe injuries in the blast.

The police stated that four injured workers, Bhushan Kumar, Om Kumar, Ranjit Kumar, and Simbar Singh, hailing from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, were admitted to the Government Hospital in Gummidipoondi for treatment.

Three other workers, Raja Babu, Ranveer Kumar and Friends Kumar, all from Bihar, were shifted to a private hospital in Chengalpattu near Chennai. Another worker, Prince Kumar, who sustained serious injuries in the incident, was taken to a private hospital in Chennai for advanced medical care.

Following the explosion, fire broke out at the factory premises, prompting teams from the fire and rescue services department to launch an operation to bring the blaze under control.

Police said two fire and rescue teams from the Gummidipoondi and Chippadai (Chipkat) fire stations battled the flames for nearly two hours before controlling the situation.

A search and rescue operation is currently underway under the supervision of Gummidipoondi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sasitharan along with fire brigade personnel.

Officials suspect that more workers may be trapped beneath the debris scattered across the Nalapuram area, and efforts are being made to ascertain the exact number of people affected by the incident.

Further details regarding the cause of the boiler explosion and the condition of the injured workers are awaited. (ANI)