Death toll due to stone mine collapse in UP rises to four

Three more bodies have been recovered from the debris of a stone mine that collapsed in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district, taking the death toll to four, an official said on Monday, November 17.

Sonbhadra District Magistrate BN Singh said the bodies were recovered on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.

“One body was recovered during the night. The deceased was identified as Indrajit (30), resident of Panari, Obra. The other two bodies have not been identified and efforts are on to identify them,” Singh said.

The mine collapsed on Saturday (15 November) evening.

Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Varanasi Zone, Piyush Mordia, said on Sunday (November 16) that it was taking time to clear the debris due to the presence of many heavy stones. Sonbhadra Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Verma had said that he received information about the building collapse at Obra police station around 4.30 pm on Saturday.

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The caller told that many workers were buried under the debris after a part of the stone mine operated by Krishna Mining Works collapsed.

The SP said police have registered a case against Krishna Mining Works owner and his business partners Madhusudan Singh and Dilip Keshari, residents of Obra, on the complaint of Chhotu Yadav, resident of Parsoi Tola, who said that his two brothers were trapped in the debris.

All three are yet to be arrested.

Samajwadi Party’s Robertsganj MP Chhotalal Kharwar alleged that the mafia was running the mine illegally in connivance with the local police.

He said, “12 to 15 people are feared trapped under the stones. Tribal people are being killed in many ways and illegal mining is being done on a large scale in this area. One or two such incidents happen every month in this area, but how the mining mafia manages everything is unknown.”

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The MP alleged that illegal mining was being done with the connivance of police and administration officials.

Khawar alleged that the police prevented him from meeting the families of the stranded mine workers.

He also demanded ₹50 lakh compensation for the victim’s family and a government job for each family.