A stone quarry crash in Odisha's Dhenkanal has left many people feared dead. PTI reported that a large portion of rocks collapsed at a stone quarry in Dhenkanal on Saturday.
What happened in Dhenkanal?
Officials have informed that the crash happened on Saturday evening. At the time, some workers were drilling and extracting stones from the quarry. The site of occurrence is located near Gopalpur village under the Motanga police station in the district.
A fire service officer said it is still not clear how many workers are trapped under the rocks or what caused the incident. He added that local fire service teams, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, along with a dog squad and heavy machines, have been sent to the spot for rescue operations, PTI reported.
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Naveen Patnaik conveys condolences
Odisha Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a post on X, "I am deeply saddened to learn that workers lost their lives in a crash following an explosion in a stone quarry in Dhenkanal."
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He added, "At this sorrowful time, I convey my deepest condolences to the family members, along with prayers for the eternal peace of the departed souls. Let appropriate investigations be conducted into the circumstances under which this incident occurred and the state of the workers' safety measures, and let the government direct its attention toward immediately expediting rescue operations."
It is known that rescue operations are still underway. No statement from Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has been released till now.