Two killed in rock collapse at illegal stone quarry in Odisha’s Dhenkanal

Bhubaneswar, Jan 4: At least two persons were killed after rocks collapsed at an unauthorised stone quarry in Odisha's Dhenkanal district.

Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and SP Abhinav Sonkar have reached the spot to supervise the rescue operation.

"As per available information, only two persons were there, and their bodies have been recovered. One person belonged to Balasore district, while another deceased was from either Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj district. Their identities have not yet been established," Patil told the press.

Blasting permission at the stone quarry expired in September while its lease period ended in December 2025, he said.

"We will take legal action against the mine lease holder as blasting and mining continued at the quarry after expiry of the lease period," Patil said.

The collector noted that enforcement drives against illegal mining in the district will be strengthened in the coming days.

The incident took place on Saturday evening when some workers were engaged in drilling and exploration of stone from the quarry located near Gopalpur village under Motanga police station limits in the district, officials added.

The exact cause behind the incident is not yet clear till filing of the copy. Teams of local fire service, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), along with dog squad were engaged in rescue operations, an officer informed.

The stone quarry was sealed following the incident. Local Tahsildar Manoj Majhi detailed that police personnel will be deployed at the quarry so that no one can enter the area.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, on a microblogging platform posted, "I am deeply saddened to learn that workers lost their lives due to a rockfall following an explosion in a stone quarry in Dhenkanal. At this sorrowful time, I convey my deepest condolences to the family members, along with prayers for the eternal peace of the departed souls."

Addressing inquiry into the incident, he continued, "Let appropriate investigations be conducted into the circumstances under which this incident occurred and the state of the workers' safety measures, and let the government direct its attention toward immediately expediting rescue operations."

PTI