BERHAMPUR: In a tragic incident, two labourers lost their lives and two others sustained critical injuries when a massive boulder fell on them at a stone quarry near Mahurikalua Chowk within Berhampur Sadar police station jurisdiction on Wednesday. The incident occurred when the labourers were taking a break from their work, police informed on Thursday.
The two who died have been identified as Gobinda Malik (19) and Jaga Malik (23). The injured Krushna Behera (32) and Sudarshan Badarait (35), are under treatment at MKCGMCH. The family of the deceased lodged a complaint with the Sadar police, said Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M. The bodies have been recovered on the day and sent to MKCGMCH for autopsy, he added.
The SP stated that the police, along with a scientific team, are investigating the matter. If the quarry owner is found responsible, appropriate legal action will be taken against him. Locals have alleged that the boulders fell due to a blast. The exact cause of the mishap can only be determined after a thorough investigation, explained the SP.
In 2021, a similar mishap happened at a stone quarry near Kukudakhandi, in close proximity to Mahurikalua Chowk, claiming three lives. Last month, two persons were crushed to death after a massive boulder fell on them in the Mohana area of Gajapati. Their bodies were recovered after 48 hours.
Several stone quarries and granite units have been established in the Kukudakhandi block. These quarries employ explosives for blasting operations despite the absence of permission for such activities, an official of district administration said on condition of anonymity.