BENGALURU: Eight daily-wage labourers from Bihar and West Bengal were killed and around 15 were injured after a massive rock collapsed at a stone quarry in Bengaluru on Thursday morning, police said.
The incident occurred at a stone crusher unit in Madapatna in Bengaluru South taluk while the workers were engaged in quarrying operations. The identities of the deceased are yet to be established. Around 15 others sustained injuries and were shifted to a private hospital for treatment.
According to the crusher operator, the accident occurred between 6 am and 6:30 am when boulders rolled down following vibrations caused by blasting operations.
He claimed he had earlier warned the quarry owner about loose boulders on the upper side of the quarry and urged that they be removed. As no action was taken, the workers had no time to escape when the rocks came crashing down.
One of the labourers said, "There were about 18 workers at the site. A huge rock fell from about 40 feet on the workers."
The falling boulders also crushed tractors and other vehicles used for transportation, causing extensive damage.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar expressed his grief over the incident.
The collapse of a crusher wall in Madapattana of Bengaluru South Taluk has caused the death of seven workers, bringing immense sorrow, he said in a post on 'X'.
He said, "It is the duty of quarry owners to ensure the life safety and security of workers engaged in quarry operations.
Rescue teams and police personnel rushed to the site and launched rescue operations. The area was cordoned off while officials cleared the debris and searched for any other workers who might have been trapped.
Meanwhile, MLA S T Somashekar demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family of each deceased worker. He also called for criminal cases to be registered against those responsible, including the quarry owner and officials concerned.
Alleging that he had repeatedly raised safety concerns about the quarry with the authorities, Somashekar said they had ignored his warnings. Had timely action been taken, the tragedy could have been prevented, he said, adding that he would raise the matter with the Chief Minister and seek strict action against those responsible.
