TIRUNELVELI: Six workers were trapped under a boulder after it rolled over following a landslide in a private stone quarry near Munnerpallam during midnight hours. Two persons have been rescued so far while the fire and rescue services personnel are working on rescuing the others.
Police said that a giant boulder rolled over crushing three lorries and three cranes and six people were stuck under the rocks during midnight hours at the stone quarry located at Adaimithipankulam near Munneerpallam in Tirunelveli district. Since midnight hours, the Fire and Rescue Services personnel and rock climbers have been on the job to rescue the trapped workers.
The district collector V Vishnu told the media that in a private stone quarry near Tharuvai in Palayamkottai Taluk, Tirunelveli district, six men were stuck under a giant boulder that fell in the stone quarry following a landslide. The district administration has sought the help of the Indian Navy to provide a helicopter and also informed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). A 30-member NDRF team is expected to arrive soon fromArakkonam to assist the rescue operations, he said.
Regarding the quarry and current situation, the collector said: "The Geological stone formation now is unstable and continuous fall is occurring, which is a challenge. However, we still are working on rescuing. A medical team is stationed, and the necessary oxygen liquid fluid is given. However, the continuous landslide could be a danger to the rescue team. A long crane of 100m has also been kept ready, and the visuals of the location have been sent to the NDRF team. Regarding the rescue, experts are being consulted."
The license holder of the quarry Sankara Narayanan has been detained and police are in search of the two owners of the quarry. This quarry has been functioning since 2018 and the lease ends in 2023, and the depth and mining plan will be investigated, he added.
Six quarries have been closed in the past seven months, especially the quarries located near Western ghats. Action has also been taken regarding the overloading complaints reported and the border is also monitored, the collector further said.
An NDRF team consisting of 30 personnel from the 4th Battalion of Arakkonam is on the way to Tirunelveli. The team is equipped with rescue equipment, medical aid kit, communication equipment and PPE kits. The superintendent of police P Saravanan and the district collector are inspecting the situation on the spot.
Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that in the stone quarry accident reported in Adaimithipankulam in Tharuvai village of Palayamkottai Taluk, six men including Murugan, Vijay, Selvam, Murugan and Rajendran were trapped under a boulder. While two were rescued, efforts are on to rescue the other four men. The injured will be given a relief fund of Rs 1 lakh. Police are investigating the accident. State Minister RS Rajakannappan has been instructed to visit the spot along with the concerned officials.