JAJPUR: Tension gripped Rahadpur within Dharmasala police limits of the district after a labourer allegedly died and two others sustained grievous injuries in a mishap at a stone crusher unit on Sunday.
The identities of the deceased and the injured are yet to be ascertained though they are reported to be from West Bengal. The incident took place when the trio was opening the wheels of a crusher machine, and one of them apparently came under the wheels and died on the spot, while two others sustained serious injuries.
The injured were rushed to Jajpur district headquarters hospital (DHH) and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after their condition deteriorated. Their condition is stated to be critical, police said.
As the news of the death spread, locals alleged that the crusher unit was being illegally run without any license and blocked the road near Samparu village.
“No stone crusher unit in Rahadpur and other areas has no objection certificate (NOC) to operate. Local labourers don’t get work at these stone crushing units. The owners of stone crushing units are bringing labourers from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh to work here. As the deceased and injured labourers are outsiders, they are yet to be identified even eight hours after the mishap,” said a local , Maheswar Das.
He alleged the deceased labourer’s body was being taken to an unknown place by covering it with a black polythene sheet in the back of a pickup truck. “Smelling something fishy we detained the vehicle and staged a road blockade in protest. We demand `50 lakh compensation for the kin of the deceased and adequate compensation for the seriously injured labourers. We want the owner of the crusher unit to be punished heavily as he was operating the unit without any valid document,” he added.
On being informed, police reached the spot and tried to pacify the enraged locals. The road blockade was withdrawn after police assured stern action against the stone crusher unit owner.