Massive Explosion at Stone Quarry in Odisha's Dhenkanal, 2 Dead

Dhenkanal: At least two people were killed after a large portion of rocks collapsed at a stone quarry in Odisha's Dhenkanal district. The incident took place on Saturday evening when some workers were engaged

in drilling and exploration of stone from the quarry located near Gopalpur village under Motanga police station limits in the district, according to officials.Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and SP Abhinav Sonkar were on the spot to supervise the rescue operation. "As per available information, only two persons were there, and two bodies were recovered. One person belonged to Balasore district, while another deceased was from either Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj district. Their identities have not yet been established," Patil told reporters."We will take legal action against the mine lease holder as blasting and mining continued at the quarry after expiry of the lease period," Patil said. The exact cause behind the incident has not yet been cleared. However, local fire service teams, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, along with dog squad and machines engaged in rescue operations, have been rushed to the area, a fire service officer said. "The rescue operation is in progress," the officer said.Fire officer, Nabaghana Mallik said, "... Two to four people have been trapped beneath large stones. Machinery is being used to cut through these stones and evacuate those trapped inside. Two teams from the fire department have been deployed, and a dog squad is also assisting at the site. The incident occurred last night during blasting operations..."

Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, in a post on X said, "I am deeply saddened to learn that workers lost their lives due to a rockfall following an explosion in a stone quarry in Dhenkanal. 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."