Operations in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant affected as two conveyor belts break down

Operations in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant affected as two conveyor belts break down. Though there is no loss of life or injury to workers, the incident has raised concerns over the implications of mechanical failures on the overall production in the plant and safety. Trade union leaders plan to take up the issues plaguing the plant with the Prime Minister during his visit to Visakhapatnam on January 8.

A section of the RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) came to a halt at 2 p.m. on January 3, 2025 (Friday) after two conveyor belts (A1 & A2), carrying material required for the steel making process, broke down.

The conveyor belts broke at a height of nearly 100 feet. Fortunately, there was no loss of life or injury to workers as no one was present at the site at the time of the accident.

“However, the failure of conveyor belts has led to significant operational disruptions. Corrective measures have immediately been initiated to restore normalcy. A small portion of the structure supporting the input material feeding the conveyors to the sinter machine broke on its own, affecting the feed of sinter mix to the sinter plant. No human injuries have been reported during the incident. Keeping the safety and well-being of all employees as a top priority, efforts are being made to ensure that such incidents do not recur,” said an official spokesperson of the VSP.

The sinter mix includes iron ore, limestone, dolamite, coke, sand, among other materials.

Meanwhile, sources in the VSP alleged that the incident would affect steel production in the next four to five days.

The incident raised concerns among the employees about the possibility of such accidents in the future. Workers were worried about the implications of mechanical failures on the overall production in the plant and safety.

Trade union sources said they would take up the issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was scheduled to visit Visakhapatnam on January 8.