On Wednesday morning, an explosion at the Volta Redonda plant of steelmaker Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) left dozens of employees with signs of intoxication and brought production to a halt. Several workers were rushed to the hospital and company shares took a hit at exchanges in São Paulo and New York. This was the latest in a series of accidents at the company in the last 12 months.
Early in the morning, a loud explosion was heard in Volta Redonda, a city northwest of Rio de Janeiro which is home to CSN’s Presidente Vargas plant. Local residents woke up to a large cloud of smoke hanging over the steelworks and the news that between 20 to 30 employees were receiving...