India, June 9 -- The accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant on Monday evening that claimed at least eight lives is being described as the biggest industrial mishap of its kind in the plant's 34-year history.

"Never in the past was there any incident of such a magnitude in which a ladle exploded spilling hot metal on the workers, killing eight workers and injuring six others though there was one incident of one person being killed due to falling of hot metal liquid in the past," said K S N Rao, who had earlier worked in the same SMS-2 unit.

He, however, said the worst-ever accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant took place on June 14, 2012, when 19 workers, including some officers, were burnt alive following a massive explosion in t...