The director of personnel of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Atul Srivastava, died suddenly of a cardiac arrest late on Wednesday night.

Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) executives and employees paid tribute in the BSL administrative building on Thursday, observing two-minutes of silence.

Executive director (personnel and administration) of BSL, Mukul Prasad, executive director (projects) R. Kushwaha and others were present.

Srivastava’s coronavirus test reports were negative, but was suffering from high fever for the last few days. On Wednesday, after experiencing difficulty in breathing, he was admitted to the hospital.

Srivastava had also undergone angioplasty in the past, and was suffering from heart ailment, diabetes, etc, said Manikant Dhan, spokesperson, BSL.

More negative cases in Bokaro

Barring a few cases, Bokaro, which has a total of five active cases, is witnessing decline in negative reports.

On Thursday, all 43 samples received were negative. Of the 34 samples received till Wednesday evening, only two tested positive and have been shifted to the Covid ward of Bokaro General Hospital (BGH). Their travel and contact history are being traced.

Deputy commissioner, Mukesh Kumar has appealed to residents to wear face masks, maintain social distance, wash hands with soap at regular intervals and stay home.

Migrants’ pregnant wives, ambulance driver test positive

As many as 18 persons, including five pregnant women and an ambulance driver tested positive in Giridih on Wednesday.

The five pregnant women of Rajdhanwar Block are wives of migrant workers who were home quarantined after arriving here from other states including Mumbai and Delhi during the Covid-19 lockdown.

An ambulance driver of Sadar Hospital carrying Covid patients also tested positive.

Mangalam Nursing Home, where the delivery of a Covid positive woman took place, has been sealed and three doctors and five staff members identified via contact tracing have been put in quarantine.

Both the woman and her child are recovering.

Meanwhile 11 patients were released from Covid Hospital after their reports came negative on Thursday, bringing the total active cases in the district to 21, said Awadhesh Kumar Sinha, civil surgeon, Giridih.