Jamshedpur, April 18: One worker was killed and four others sustained burns in an explosion this afternoon inside Usha Martin Limited, a steel manufacturing unit in Gamharia, Seraikela-Kharsawan, 18km from Jamshedpur.

Mantosh Kumar Dey (32), a resident of Chakradharpur in West Singhbhum, was killed in the explosion inside the steel melting shop (SMS 3) blast furnace around 1.30pm.

His injured colleagues, Shamshad Alam (25), Sarveshwar Mandal (32), Satish Singh Sardar (31)and Neeraj Singh (30), all residents of Gamharia, were rushed to Tata Main Hospital burns care unit.

Neeraj, with over 85 per cent burns, is critical.

The five workers had been repairing a leakage at the SMS 3 blast furnace when a panel exploded, Jharkhand's chief factory inspector A.K. Mishra told The Telegraph.

Usha Martin deputy general manager (public relations) Ravi Srivastav explained how the explosion took place. "Some workers noticed the water leakage in the SMS 3 panel at around 12.45pm. Immediately, the mechanical department was asked to look into the leakage. During repairs, pressure developed in the panel. Water reached the blast furnace, converted to steam and caused the explosion," he said.

Srivastav said the company would compensate the kin of the deceased according to norms and fully bear the medical expenses of the injured.

Gamharia thana OC Adhikant Mahto said a case of negligence against the company had been lodged based on a complaint by one of the injured, Satish.

"I have formed a three-member probe panel comprising factory inspectors of Seraikela-Kharsawan and Bokaro, B.B. Prasad and Vinit Kumar Singh, and deputy chief factories inspector in Jamshedpur Ratan Khess. It will submit its report within a month," Mishra said. Seraikela-Kharsawan SP Inderjeet Mahta said the guilty would not be spared.