At least seven workers from Bihar were killed after a massive rock collapsed at a stone quarry in Karnataka's Bengaluru on Thursday, police said. According to police, the tragedy happened early in the morning at Madapattana in Bengaluru South Taluk when Kaveri Company employees were working on a rock.
According to the police, the victims, all daily-wage labourers employed at a stone crusher site, were trapped beneath the fallen boulder and died on the spot.
How did the accident happen?
Police said the accident took place during quarrying operations at the site. According to the preliminary investigation, a large rock came crashing down while work was underway in the quarry and fell on the labourers working below.
Officials said around 15 to 20 workers were present at the quarry at the time of the accident. Preliminary findings suggest that a Hitachi machine was clearing space nearly 100 feet above the workers to make way for a new crusher unit. During the process, a large boulder got dislodged and rolled down onto the workers below.
Police suspect the accident may have occurred because the operator of the Hitachi machine did not notice that labourers were working directly beneath the excavation area.
Several workers sustained injuries
The injured were shifted to a private hospital for treatment. The exact number of those injured was being verified, though initial reports indicated that several workers sustained injuries.
Rescue personnel and police rushed to the spot and launched operations following the collapse.
The area was cordoned off as officials began clearing debris and searching for any other workers who may have been trapped.
Police said the deceased were all natives of Bihar and efforts were underway to inform their families.
Further investigation has been taken up to ascertain the cause of the rock collapse and whether there was any negligence or violation of safety norms at the quarry, the police added.
CM Shivakumar expresses grief
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expressed grief over the death of seven workers in the crusher wall collapse at Madapattana in Bengaluru South Taluk, calling the incident deeply saddening.
"The collapse of a crusher wall in Madapattana of Bengaluru South Taluk has caused the death of 7 workers, bringing immense sorrow. I pray that the departed souls attain eternal peace, that their families are granted the strength to bear this grief, and that the injured recover swiftly," he said.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister stressed that ensuring the safety and security of workers engaged in quarry operations is the responsibility of quarry owners, and said the government would take appropriate action against quarries found violating safety regulations. "It is the duty of quarry owners to ensure the life safety and security of workers engaged in quarry operations. The government will take appropriate action against quarries that violate regulations," he added.
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