
Jamshedpur: A 30-year-old worker was killed and four others were injured after a mound of cement fell on them at a factory on the outskirts of the steel city at Jojobera in Govindpur late on Sunday evening.
Govind Gope and the other workers, all of whom are contract employees, were engaged in a routine clean-up operation at the Nuvoco Vistas Corporation (formerly Lafarge) plant yard when a large quantity of cement fell on them around 7.30pm.
Two of the workers, who ended up with minor injuries, screamed for help. Other workers rushed in to help Govind and two others who were buried underneath. They managed to extricate Govind and took him to Tata Main Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
Company sources said the workers engaged in silo cleaning, during which cement is fed from the top of storage units and removed from the bottom. The idea is to increase the efficiency of the storage silos.
"Silo cleaning is a regular activity. The mishap was unfortunate. We are looking into the concerns of the victim's family," said a company official.
Govind is a resident of Mahatodi village of Govindpur. Two of the injured were released after first-aid while two others, S. Pramanik (28) and Sambhu Gope (29), also from the same village, have been admitted to Tata Main Hospital.
Govind is survived by his wife and two minor sons who study at government school.
Angry relatives held a protest and even prevented police from taking away the body for post-mortem. They demanded a job for Govind's widow, which sources said, the company had agreed to provide.
"The body was sent to MGM Medical College mortuary from Tata Main Hospital after the company management assured the family that a job would be provided to the widow of the victim," said OC of Govindpur police station Mahendra Karmali.