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Mizoram quarry accident: PM Modi announces compensation; death toll touches 10

A total of 12 people were confirmed to have been trapped after the stone quarry caved in at Maudarh village, about 23 km from Hnahthial town on Monday evening

Published on: Nov 16, 2022, 09:40:46 IST
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Two more bodies were recovered from the debris of a stone quarry that collapsed in south Mizoram’s Hnahthial district, raising the death toll to 10, an official said on Wednesday.

BSF personnel involved in the rescue operations at the accident site. (Twitter | BSF Mizoram and Cachar)
BSF personnel involved in the rescue operations at the accident site. (Twitter | BSF Mizoram and Cachar)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences for the tragedy and announced compensation for the deceased and injured.

“My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones due to the tragic stone quarry collapse in Mizoram. Ex-gratia of 2 lakh would be given from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given 50,000”, the official Twitter handle of PMO posted.

Also Read:Mizoram stone quarry accident: Eight bodies recovered; four remain missing

A total of 12 people were confirmed to have been trapped after the stone quarry caved in at Maudarh village, about 23 km from Hnahthial town on Monday evening.

The incident occurred at around 2:40 pm on Monday when the workers were working at the site, according to district administration

Hnahthial district deputy commissioner R Lalremsanga said two more bodies were recovered from the debris on Tuesday night after an intense search operation.

With the new recoveries, 10 out 12 people trapped under the debris of the stone quarry collapse have been recovered, he said.

The official said the search for the remaining two missing persons is still on.

Of the 10 victims, whose bodies have been recovered, five hailed from West Bengal, two each from Jharkhand and neighbouring Assam and one from south Mizoram’s Lunglei district, he said.

The two missing persons were residents of Lunglei district and Assam, he said.

The eight victims, whose bodies have been recovered on Tuesday, were brought to Aizawl Civil Hospital on the intervening night between Tuesday and Wednesday for embalming and packaging.

While seven bodies will be sent by flights to their respective villages in West Bengal and Jharkhand and the body of an Assam’s resident will be sent by road to Silchar on Wednesday, official sources said.

ABCI Infrastructures Pvt Ltd, a construction company, which employed the workers, have arranged transportation for the bodies of the victims, it said.

ABCI is currently executing a widening of a section of National Highway-54 between Hnahthial town and Dawn village.

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