Jajpur, April 3: The state factories and boiler department has asked the Tata Steel Plant in Kalinga Nagar to halt its production after an explosion took place at a blast furnace unit of the plant recently.

The assistant director of the factories and boiler department (Jajpur Road division), Kedarnath Hansda, gave the order to the private steel company authorities following the explosion that took place on Friday.

At least four contractual workers of the plant reportedly suffered injuries due to the explosion.

The injured workers were rushed to the Tata Hospital within the Kalinga Nagar plant premises for treatment.

"There was an incident of a minor explosion at the dry pit No. 4 of the blast furnace of Kalinga Nagar steel plant on Friday afternoon. Four contract workers sustained minor injuries and a few electrical cables of the plant have been damaged but the full extent of damage is being assessed," said Kulvin Suri, the chief of Tata Steel's corporate communications department, (India and South East Asia).

The exact cause of the explosion has not yet been ascertained and investigations are currently under way to find out what caused the explosion, Suri said.

"The plant was under trial production," he added.

On being informed, Jajpur Road division of factories and boiler department led by its assistant director visited the site on Saturday and ordered the steel plant authorities to stop production still normalcy is restored at the blast furnace.