Team Goemkarponn
LOUTOLIM: Two workers lost their lives while five others sustained burn injuries after a fire broke out on a vessel under construction at the Vijay Marine Shipyard in Loutolim on Friday evening.
According to police, the incident occurred around 5.30 pm when seven labourers engaged in welding work were caught in a sudden blaze inside a confined section of the vessel. The victims were rushed to the South Goa District Hospital, where two were declared brought dead.
Of the five injured workers, four were later shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim, after their condition was found to be critical. The remaining worker is undergoing treatment at the district hospital with minor injuries.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer (DySP) Margao, Sidhant Shirodkar, said preliminary investigations indicate that the mishap may have been caused by negligence on the part of the safety supervisor. “Prima facie, the lapse appears to have occurred due to failure to ensure adequate safety precautions and functioning of protective equipment. The safety officer acted in a rash and negligent manner by not following proper procedures, which led to the fire during welding,” DySP Shirodkar said.
Police have registered a case at Maina-Curtorim Police Station under Sections 106, 115 and 118 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The deceased and injured have been identified as migrant workers, including Abhishek Kumar (25), Manish Chauhan (27), Santosh Kumar (27), and Mohammed Babloo (27), all hailing from Uttar Pradesh.
Medical Superintendent of South Goa District Hospital, Dr. Rajendra Borkar, confirmed that seven workers were brought to the hospital. “Two were declared brought dead, while four have sustained major burn injuries and were referred to GMC. One has minor burns and is being treated here,” he said.
Following the incident, the Inspector of Factories and Boilers visited the site and directed the shipyard management to immediately halt all operations. The premises were sealed to facilitate investigations, and a bomb disposal squad was called in as a precautionary measure.
South Goa District Collector and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, Egna Cletus, IAS, clarified that the mishap was a fire incident and not an explosion. She said that a preliminary report suggested the vessel had been freshly painted a day earlier, and welding work on Friday may have triggered a chemical reaction causing the blaze.
Officials from the disaster management authority, including Deputy Collectors Laxmikant Desai and Velton Tellis, and Salcete Mamlatdar Gaurav Gaonkar, inspected the site. The Inspector of Factories and Boilers has initiated a detailed probe, and further action will follow based on the findings.
