At least four workers died and two others fell seriously ill following gas leakage in the Bhusan Steel Plant at Thelkul under Rengali block in Sambalpur district.
The accident occurred on Sunday night when carbon monoxide started leaking out of one of the furnaces while four electrical workers were attending to the Compact Strip Plant (CSP) in the evening shift.
The four workers shouted for help but fell unconscious inside the plant. Two other workers, on hearing their screams, rushed to rescue them but they too inhaled the gas and fell seriously ill.
The plant's security personnel rescued all the six workers from the spot and shifted them to the V S S Medical
Sources at the Bhushan steel plant said the four workers died on way to the hospital while the condition of the other two was stated critical.
Tension prevailed among the workers soon after the incident and the plant's executive Director Arun Jalali rushed to the spot.
The deceased workers were identified as Deepak Pande, Satyapriya Pani, Anjan Nayak and Jamadar Meheta. All of them were working in the electrical division of the plant.
The condition of the other two workers - Rakesh Pattnaik and Mahesh Jode - admitted to the hospital was stated to be critical but stable, hospital sources said.