Two workers died due to rock collapse in illegal stone mine
Jagran correspondent, Angul. At least two laborers died due to rock collapse in an illegally operated stone mine near Gopalpur village under Motanga police station area of Dhenkanal district. This accident happened on Saturday evening when the workers were working to extract stones from the mine. Suddenly a heavy rock fell and the workers were buried under it.
Confirming the incident, Motanga Tehsildar Manoj Manjhi said that the mine has been found to be completely illegal. After the accident, the mine was immediately sealed and police was deployed in the area. Strict legal action will be taken against the guilty lease holder.
Two dead bodies recovered after removing debris
As soon as information about the accident was received, teams of Fire Service, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRF), Dog Squad and local administration reached the spot. Two bodies were recovered after removing the debris. According to officials, one of the deceased was a resident of Balasore district, while the other is being identified as a resident of Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj district.
The District Mining Officer said that the lease of the concerned mine had expired in December 2025, while the license for explosive use had expired in September 2025 itself. Despite this, illegal mining work was continuing, which is a serious rule violation.
Action as per rules against those responsible
The mining officer said that carrying out mining even after the lease has expired is a legal offence. The entire matter is being investigated and action will be taken against those responsible as per rules.
The administration has ordered a detailed investigation into the accident. It is feared that more workers may be buried under the debris, hence the rescue operation is continuing with utmost caution. After the incident, there is an atmosphere of mourning in the area and there is chaos among the families of the deceased.