Dhenkanal: At least two workers were killed after rocks collapsed at an unauthorised stone quarry in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district, officials said on Sunday.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening near Gopalpur village under the Motanga police station limits when workers were engaged in drilling and stone extraction at the quarry. The exact cause of the rockfall is yet to be ascertained.
Rescue operations were launched immediately, involving teams from the local fire service, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and a dog squad. Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and Superintendent of Police Abhinav Sonkar reached the site to oversee the rescue and relief efforts.
“Based on the information available so far, only two people were present at the site and both bodies have been recovered. One deceased was from Balasore district, while the other was from either Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj district. Their identities are yet to be confirmed,” Patil told reporters.
Officials revealed that the blasting permission for the quarry had expired in September, while the mining lease ended in December 2025. Despite this, blasting and mining activities allegedly continued at the site.
“We will initiate legal action against the mine lease holder for continuing operations after the expiry of the lease and blasting permission,” the collector said, adding that enforcement drives against illegal mining in the district would be intensified in the coming days.
Following the incident, the quarry was sealed. Tehsildar Manoj Majhi said police personnel have been deployed at the site to prevent unauthorised entry.
Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the incident. In a post on X, he said he was deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the rockfall and extended condolences to the bereaved families, praying for peace for the departed souls.
