At least ten people were feared trapped after a stone quarry collapsed in south Mizoram’s Hnahthial district, about 160 km from Aizawl on Monday, a senior police officer said.
Hnahthial superintendent of police (SP) Vineet Kumar said: “The incident occurred at around 3 pm when labourers of ABCI Infrastructure private limited were working in a quarry at Maudarh village, about 43 minutes from Hnahthial town.” He said 13 people were working in the quarry when it caved in and one of them managed to escape.
The rescue operation was ongoing at the time of publication and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was monitoring the search efforts.
According to a preliminary report issued by Hnahthial district deputy commissioner R. Lalremsanga, about 10-15 people are believed to be trapped under the debris.
Five earth excavators, a stone crusher and a drill were completely buried under the debris, the report said.
Nobody had been rescued till 8pm on Monday, it said.
People familiar with the matter said loose soil caved in from above while the labourers were breaking and collecting stones inside the quarry. Hnahthial district officials and a medical team rushed to the spot soon after the incident.
Volunteers of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) from nearby villages also rushed to the spot for the rescue operation, said one of the people mentioned above.
Maudarh is a small hamlet located about 23 km from Hnahthial town and 39 km away from Lunglei town.
{{/usCountry}}Maudarh is a small hamlet located about 23 km from Hnahthial town and 39 km away from Lunglei town.
{{/usCountry}}ABCI Infra pvt ltd, which is currently constructing a highway between Hnahthial and Dawn village, collects stones or boulders from the Maudarh quarry, said another official familiar with the matter.