Steel Plant Explosion Kills Four

The South Africa Department of Labor has closed the Assmang steel plant in Cato Ridge after four workers were killed in an explosion.

The department has since ordered a halt to all operations in the plant until a risk assessment has been conducted to ascertain whether the furnaces can become operational again, said department spokeswoman Zolisa Sigabi. No stone will be left unturned, someone must account for that incident.

Five others were injured in the blast, the cause of which is still unknown.

The plant was already under inquiry for exposing workers to poisonous fumes in 2007 when Sunday’s accident occurred, BuaNews reported.

Sigabi said the department’s inspectors indicated that a water leakage into the furnace might have caused the blast.