KILINAKKODU: The bodies of the four labourers, who were trapped under the debris after an accident at a stone crushing unit near Malappuram, were recovered on Sunday. The deceased are: Bhaktaram Sardar, 21, hailing from Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal; Joseph alias Pappachan, 48, of Vatholi in Thiruvambadi; Sreenivasan, 24, from Rattappadi; and Muthu alias Asharaf, 33, hailing from Maranchatty.
It was around 5 pm on Saturday that a protective wall near a stone crusher unit under construction collapsed on the beam of the crusher at the Oorakam hill in Kilinakode near Vengara. The bodies were recovered after a combined effort made by the people, police, fire force and the National Disaster Response Force that lasted 18 hours. The first body was found around 6.40 am on Sunday.
All bodies were recovered by 10.30 am, and were moved to the Tirurangadi Taluk Hospital. The bodies were then taken to their houses after the police inquest. Bhaktaram’s body was taken to Kolkata in a specially-equipped ambulance, informed the District Collector.
The district administration has announced an emergency compensation of `10,000 for each victim. Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, who visited the spot, said that the Cabinet would soon announce a compensation package for the victims.
According to eye witnesses, five of the nine labourers who were working at the spot ran away on seeing the wall collapsing. Officials said that the 20-inch-thick, 40-metre-long and 20-metre-high wall was unscientifically built, and it collapsed in the heavy rain.
“Pappachan and Bhaktaram were sitting on the beam tightening the rods. We ran away on seeing the wall collapsing, but they couldn’t,” said an escaped labourer, a cousin of Bhaktaram.
Suresh, a Malayali worker, who also escaped by a whisker, was trapped among the bamboo poles used for construction.
According to locals, the dilapidated road, heavy rain and the lack of equipment affected the rescue operations.
As more soil fell on the collapsed wall, the operations became very difficult. Five earth movers belonging to the crusher were used for the rescue operation. The crusher unit, belonging to Kandeth Kunhammed, was reportedly working without any approval from the authorities.
Kunhalikutty informed that the Mining and Geology Department officials and the district authorities would probe if the crusher and quarry nearby were illegal.
The District Collector M C Mohandas later informed that the Tirurangadi Tahsildar has been asked to conduct an inquiry.
District panchayat president Zuhara Mampad, the District Collector and SP K Sethuraman visited the spot.