Six workers crushed to death at stone quarry in Bengal’s Birbhum district

Kolkata: Six workers were killed and five others severely injured when they were crushed by falling rock pieces at a stone quarry in Birbhum district of West Bengal on Friday.

Initially, information had spread that five workers were killed and four others were injured. However, later the district administration mentioned that six were killed while the number of injured persons is five.

They are currently under treatment at Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital in the district. The conditions of a couple of them are quite critical.

A huge police contingent from the Nalhati Police Station is already at the stone quarry where acute tension is prevailing over the mishap.

Eyewitness said that the workers were working to remove stones from the quarry at noon on Friday, when suddenly a portion of the quarry collapsed.

“The workers did not get a chance to move away due to the sudden collapse. There were around 12 workers who were working in the quarry at that time. They were all buried. Upon receiving the news, workers from other stone quarries in the area reached the spot almost immediately and started the rescue operation,” a local eyewitness told media persons.

Initially, a district official said, bodies of five dead workers were recovered from under the debris, while six other injured workers were rushed to the hospital at Rampurhat. Later, he added, one more casualty was reported at the hospital.

The bodies of the dead workers have been sent for post-mortem. Rescue operations are still on to find out whether any other workers or workers were trapped under the debris or not.

The police have started a detailed investigation in the matter. The owner of the stone quarry is also being questioned.

This particular area in Birbhum district has been notorious for mushrooming illegal stone quarries, where even the minimum security measures for the workers are not followed. Another menace related to the illegal stone quarries in the area is the illegal accumulation of gelatin sticks meant for the stone blast at these quarries.

IANS