Pathanamthitta/Kerala: In the tragic accident of a major rockfall that occurred at a granite quarry in Payyanamon near Konni in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta, the second worker, who was trapped under the debris, was taken out dead. Earlier, rescue teams had managed to recover the body of 51-year-old Mahadev Pradhan from Odisha. The second person, whose body was recovered from the excavator cabin a while ago, is identified as 38-year-old Ajay Kumar Rai from Bihar.
The unfortunate accident occurred on Monday while the duo were operating the excavator.
A massive rock reportedly became dislodged and crashed down onto the machine, completely burying it and the men beneath debris. The force of the fall destroyed the excavator.
Due to worsened weather conditions and a second rockfall that endangered rescue personnel, operations were halted on Monday evening. Efforts involving the police, fire and rescue services, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) resumed on Tuesday.
The accident occurred in a remote section of the quarry, which led to a considerable delay in notifying emergency services. Rescue efforts were further complicated by the size of the fallen boulders and the instability of the surrounding terrain, TNIE reported.
Pathanamthitta District Collector S. Prem Krishnan, who was overseeing operations on-site, had to be moved after a subsequent rockfall made the area too dangerous.
Officials from the Fire and Rescue Services stated they were informed of the incident at around 3:20 pm on Monday and arrived at the location within 20 minutes. However, due to the inaccessibility of the site, it took an additional hour to install the necessary equipment and ropes to safely descend into the quarry pit.
Rescue teams successfully evacuated two machine operators who had been stranded near the collapse site. One body was also recovered during the operation. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the rescue by 7 pm on the day.
In response to the incident, the district collector has ordered the quarry to remain closed until further notice.