LUCKNOW: In a major mishap, a stone mine collapsed in Sonbhadra district of eastern Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, in which one person lost his life and over 15 are fear trapped under the debris. Rescue operations are underway. The exact number of those trapped is not yet known.
The collapse occurred in the Billi Markundi mining area under the Obra police station limits in Sonbhadra.
Relief teams, including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police, reached the quarry and began the rescue operation. Debris removal continued throughout the night and was still ongoing on Sunday.
While one body was recovered from the site, the search for others was still underway.
Uttar Pradesh minister and local MLA Sanjeev Kumar Gond, who visited the spot in the Billi Markundi mining area on Saturday evening, said “around a dozen labourers” might be trapped under the debris.
The authorities concerned ordered a probe into the collapse, to be conducted by Additional District Magistrate (Finance/Revenue) Vagish Singh. On the basis of the probe report, further action would be taken, said district administration sources.
According to Sonbhadra district magistrate Badrinath Singh, besides the NDRF and SDRF, rescue teams from two private companies and the Obra Thermal Power Project also carried out rescue operations. He added that additional equipment and machinery were being brought in to assist the teams.
While the cause of the collapse was not yet known, the district magistrate said that a probe had been launched to ascertain the same.
Upon receiving information about the incident, officials rushed to the spot and called in specialised rescue teams, which immediately began efforts to pull out the trapped labourers. Several residents also rushed to the site as news of the collapse spread.
The person killed in the incident was identified as Raju Singh Gaur, a resident of Parsoi village in Sonbhadra. According to sources, his identity was confirmed after rescue personnel dialled numbers from the mobile phone recovered from his pocket.
According to Piyush Mordia, Additional Director General, Varanasi Zone, due to the large size of the stones, extreme caution was necessary while removing the debris in an open-pit mine.
As per local sources, the incident occurred while drilling work was underway to prepare holes for blasting inside the mine. Suddenly, one side of the quarry wall allegedly collapsed, sending debris plunging nearly 150 feet. Several workers were trapped beneath it, they added.
Superintendent of Police, Sonbhadra, Abhishek Verma, said that around 4.30 pm on Saturday, the Obra police station received information that some workers were buried under rocks and debris after a portion of a stone quarry at Krishna Mining Works in the Billi Markundi area collapsed.
Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged at the Obra police station against the firm – Krishna Mines – operating the quarry and its two partners, based on a complaint filed by local resident Chhotu Yadav, who was also working at the site.
According to police, Chhotu stated that he and his two brothers, Indrajeet Yadav (31) and Santosh Yadav (29), were working in the mine. On 15 November, they were operating a compressor machine when a large portion of the quarry allegedly collapsed.
He alleged that the incident occurred because the mine owners and their partners – Madhusudan Singh and Dilip Kesari – failed to follow mining safety guidelines.
However, no arrests have been made so far, with police officials claiming that efforts were underway to trace the accused.