Jharsuguda: In the wake of a major fire at Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) here, the Assistant Director of Factories and Boilers, Jharsuguda Zone imposed a prohibition order on operation of the Green Anode Plant of Smelter-2 of the unit.

The prohibition has been imposed under Section 40 (2) of the Factories Act, 1948 and will remain in force till further orders.

“Preliminary investigation suggests that HTM (Heat Transfer Medium) oil leaked from a flange of the kneader equipment, which subsequently caused fire,” mentioned the order letter issued to the Manager of VAL Jharsuguda unit.

A comprehensive fire safety audit will be conducted for the entire factory by an external independent agency and reports will be submitted along with a compliance report to the defects observed in the said report, the letter added.

Worth mentioning, a fire erupted at the Green Anode plant of Smelter-2 unit at about 10.45 AM on July 6. Though no casualty was reported, a worker, Bishikeshan Pradhan, sustained burn injuries in the mishap.