Rescue operation underway after a portion of a stone quarry collapsed, in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh. Photo: PTI
Three more bodies recovered in Sonbhadra quarry collapse, toll now four
Three more bodies were recovered in the Sonbhadra quarry collapse in Uttar Pradesh, taking the death toll to four as police probe illegal mining and book the operators
With the recovery of three more bodies from the rubble of a stone quarry that collapsed in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, the death toll in the incident has reached four.
Speaking to reporters on Monday (November 17), District Magistrate, Sonbhadra, BN Singh said that the bodies were recovered on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.
'Two bodies yet to be identified’
He also said that while one deceased has been identified as Indrajit (30), a resident of Panari, Obra, the two other bodies are yet to be identified.
"One body was recovered in the night. The deceased was identified as Indrajit (30), a resident of Panari, Obra. The other two bodies have not been identified, and efforts are on to identify them," Singh said as quoted by PTI.
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The quarry collapsed on Saturday evening. Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Varanasi Zone, Piyush Mordia, on Sunday, said clearing the rubble is taking time due to the presence of several heavy stones.
Mining company owner booked
Sonbhadra Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Verma had said they were informed about the collapse at around 4.30 pm on Saturday at Obra Police Station.
The caller informed the police that several workers were buried under the debris after a portion of a stone quarry operated by Krishna Mining Works collapsed.
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Verma said that the owner of Krishna Mining Works and his business partners, Madhusudan Singh and Dilip Keshari, both residents of Obra, have been booked.
He also said that the step was taken on the basis of a complaint of Chhotu Yadav, a resident of Parsoi Tola, who said his two brothers are trapped under the rubble. However, the three accused are yet to be arrested.
‘Mines run by mafia, police’
Alleging that the mine was illegally run by the mafia in collusion with the local police, Samajwadi Party's Robertsganj MP, Chotelal Kharwar, said that there is a possibility that 12 to 15 people are trapped under the stones.
“There is a possibility that 12 to 15 people are trapped under the stones. Tribals are being killed in many ways, and large-scale illegal mining is being carried out in this area. One or two such incidents occur every month in this region, but how the mining mafia manages everything remains unknown," he added.
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The MP claimed that illegal mining is being carried out with the connivance of police and administration officials.
Kharwar alleged that he was stopped by the police from meeting the kin of the trapped mine workers. He also demanded Rs 50 lakh in compensation for the victim's family and a government job for each family.
(With agency inputs)