KOCHI: A protest over the death of a Bihar native following a fire at an oil company in the Edayar industrial area ended on Saturday after the firm agreed to pay Rs 15 lakh as compensation to the victim’s family.
Shathrukan Mukhiya (42), an employee of Cee Jee Lubricants, died after a fire broke out at the factory on Thursday.
Family members, along with migrant workers, social activists and local residents, had staged a protest at Edayar Junction, holding the body and expressing dissatisfaction over the initial compensation of Rs five lakh announced by the company.
Social activist Mahesh Kumar, who was part of the protest, said that the Additional District Magistrate and Deputy Superintendent of Police reached the spot on Friday night and held discussions with the protesters.
“The discussion concluded around 12.30 am. The company agreed to pay Rs 15 lakh as compensation. Of this, Rs five lakh will be given immediately and the remaining amount will be cleared soon,” Kumar told PTI.
Following the assurance, the protest was called off, and Mukhiya’s body was cremated at a crematorium at around 2 am, he said.
Meanwhile, the Factories and Boilers Department, which conducted an initial inspection at the Cee Jee factory, found lapses on the part of the firm.
Officials said that a directive had been issued to the company on December 26 last year to conduct a pressure test on the coil of the thermic fluid heater to prevent fire hazards.
However, the test was not carried out, and the same unit caught fire on Thursday.
The department will soon initiate a detailed examination of the unit; until then, the factory will remain closed, officials said.
Kumar said that in the wake of the incident, the protesters have urged the district administration to inspect safety measures at all factories operating in the Edayar industrial area, as accidents are becoming frequent.