Labourer killed in Sonbhadra stone quarry collapse; around 'dozen' remain trapped

A 30-year-old mine worker's body was recovered from the rubble on Sunday morning from a stone quarry that collapsed here, a police officer said.

Several more remain trapped under the rubble.

Uttar Pradesh minister and local MLA Sanjeev Kumar Gond, who visited the spot in the Billi Markundi mining area after the collapse on Saturday evening, said “around a dozen labourers” might be trapped under the debris.

Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Varanasi Zone, Piyush Mordia, said efforts are on to clear the debris.

Police identified the deceased labourer as Raju Singh of Panari village of the same district.

The ADG said clearing the rubble is taking time because it includes several heavy stones.

Sonbhadra Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Verma said that they were informed about the collapse at around 4.30 pm on Saturday at Obra Police Station.

The caller said that several workers were buried under the debris after a portion of a stone quarry operated by Krishna Mining Works collapsed.

The police have booked the owner of Krishna Mining Works (name and domicile unknown), and his business partners, Madhusudan Singh and Dilip Keshari, both residents of Obra, on the complaint of Chhotu Yadav, a resident of Parsoi Tola, who said his two brothers are trapped under the rubble, the SP said.

The three are yet to be arrested.

Mordai, in a post on X, said a rescue operation is on by the teams from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, and police.

On Saturday, District Magistrate B N Singh said a wall inside the quarry suddenly caved in, trapping the workers inside.

Gond said the mine would be investigated for its legality.

Samajwadi Party's Robertsganj MP, Chotelal Kharwar, alleged that the mine was illegally run by the mafia in collusion with the local police.

"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 said.

"There is collusion between the sub-inspector, the SP, the DM and the mining officer. Illegal mining is being carried out with the connivance of all of them," the MP alleged.

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.