Death toll rises to 5 in stone quarry mishap in Sonbhadra as rescue ops end

The death toll in the cave-in at a stone quarry in Billi Markundi of Sonbhadra in eastern Uttar Pradesh rose to five on Sunday as rescue operations ended, officials said.

“NDRF team comprising 40 rescuers recovered five bodies from the quarry in a rescue operation which went on for over 38 hours,” NDRF Inspector Neeraj Kumar said, adding that the team carried out thorough search at the spot. Rescue operation is over at the site.

A senior police officer said that two bodies were recovered on Saturday, while three bodies were recovered in the early hours of Sunday.

The bodies of Surendra Gond (25) and Chhote Lal Gond (45) were recovered on Saturday and Gulab Gond, Ram Prahalad Gond, and Shivcharan Gond, (all three in the age group of 35 to 45 years) were recovered on Sunday, he said.

On Friday evening, two persons were seriously injured in a cave-in at the quarry.

A police officer said that an eyewitness told them that stone breaking and drilling was underway in the quarry. Around eight labourers were working in the quarry when three big rocks suddenly fell from the top of an adjoining mine, trapping the labourers and triggering panic.

Police said that a team from Obra police station reached the spot and rescued three labourers, who were trapped under the rocks, and rushed them to a hospital at the Obra power plant.