Brazilian flats steelmaker Usiminas said on Friday it halted production at its Ipatinga mill, following an explosion.
Blast furnace output was halted as a “precaution,” following the incident reported Friday afternoon at the steelmaker’s gas works. About 30 people were taken to a hospital, the company said, adding that it has yet to determine the cause of the blast.
Crude steel output at the Ipatinga mill, located in the city of same name in the state of Minas Gerais, reached 5 million mt in 2017.