Bhubaneswar/Dhenkanal, Nov.18: The police today imposed prohibitory orders around the Bhushan steel plant site and took 20 persons into preventive custody to control law and order situation in the area.

Local residents led by BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha member Rudra Naryan Pani had locked the gates of the company and staged a road blockade demanding action against those responsible for the furnace blast that killed one person and injured at least 19 persons on November 13.

For the last five days, the demonstrators refused to let anyone enter the plant premises through the main gate.

In a related development, the factories and boiler department has directed the company management to produce “all those, including the foreign nationals, who were present during the commissioning of the blast furnace on the fateful day,” to help the government to carry out its probe.

Deputy director, factories and boilers, H.C. Sahu said: “The cause of the mishap will be ascertained from all those who were present at that time.”

Company sources said that a Germany-based company, which was providing assistance to the Bhushan Steel to set up its furnace, had hired 74 foreign nationals, mostly from Italy and Germany. On Sunday, 42 of them had shifted to Bhubaneswar.

Police sources said that these foreign nationals would be returning to their respective countries as they found that the atmosphere at the plant site was no longer conducive for them to stay on.

Talking to The Telegraph, German consul-general Rainer Schemiedchen, who was in the city, said: “There were three German engineers in the group. All of them are safe.”

The situation at Meramunduli, the site of the plant, continues to be tense. There has been a large-scale exodus of labourers.

“Nearly 5,000 workers have already left the plant,” said an official of the company.

In another development, the plant authorities have urged the National Disaster Management Authority to initiate steps to run the blast furnace–II immediately.

The company is of the view that if the plant is not allowed to function immediately, it may release carbon monoxide. The company had submitted memoranda to the state government in this regard. But, the factories and boiler authorities do not share the views of the company.

“We are taking safety measures,” said an official.

The issue is, however, gathering political steam. Both the BJP and the Congress have demanded a CBI probe into the mishap and accused the state government of trying to shield the company.

Demanding a central probe, Union minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers Srikant Jena said: “The company (Bhushan steel) is being patronised by the state government. A CBI probe will only help in establishing the causes of the accident and the number of people killed in the mishap.”

The CPI, on the other hand, has demanded a judicial probe. Disputing the allegations of Jena, panchayati raj minister Kalpataru Das said: “Whatever facilities have been given to the Bhushan Steel plant is according to the industrial policy of the government. No favour has been shown to anyone.”