Ispat told of risk but ignored fire funds plea

THE life of a worker who died in a fire at the Irish Ispat steel plant last year could have been saved if bosses had paid the 15,000 needed to improve safety, a former official said last night.

Lab technician Thomas Mulcahy died when he was trapped in the blazing building at the plant in Cork on January 15 last year, despite the best efforts of fellow workers to save him.

The fire tender on site could not be started and the 53-year-old died in hospital after suffering smoke inhalation before the fire was brought under control. The former Irish Steel plant closed and went into liquidation five months later, with the loss of more than 400 jobs and leaving debts of more than 57m.