By Bhupen Goswami
Guwahati: A total of 11 bodies have been recovered so far after a major portion of a stone quarry collapsed and fell on 12 labourers in Mizoram. One is still missing. Officials gave this information. The number has increased after two more bodies were found in the night. Hanthial district Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Gurung said a search operation was underway to retrieve one more bodies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the stone quarry collapse in Mizoram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. A stone quarry collapsed in South Mizoram’s Hanhathial district around 3 pm on Monday. In which 9 people died. Later, two more bodies were recovered from the debris, taking the death toll to 11. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said in a tweet, “Search and rescue operations are being carried out tirelessly in mine landslide, Maudarh village. My condolences to the victims of this unfortunate incident. We express our gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who expressed his condolences. According to a report by the Deputy Commissioner of Hanathiyal district, of the 12 workers, five were from West Bengal, while three were from Assam and two each from Jharkhand and Mizoram. According to some locals in Maudarh village, at least five excavators and other drilling machines have been buried under the debris.
The stone quarry, located about 160 km from state capital Aizawl, has been operational for two-and-a-half years. State Disaster Response Force, Mizoram Armed Police personnel, Border Security Force and Assam Rifles personnel as well as volunteers from the Young Mizo Association are participating in the rescue operation. A private company is constructing a highway between Hanthial and Don village and collects stones from the mine. Meanwhile, Mizoram’s Hanathiyal police station has registered a suo motu case against Anupam Bricks and Concrete Industry (ABCI) Infrastructure Pvt Ltd in connection with the collapse of a stone quarry at Maudar village in Hanathiyal district. In Mizoram, 11 people died and another person is still missing. According to Vineet Kumar, an SP of Hanathiyal police, sections 304A and 336 of the Indian Penal Code have been registered against the company. According to the said law under the IPC: Cause of death by negligence or whoever causes death by negligence of any person in the form of culpable homicide not amounting to murder shall be punished with imprisonment or fine for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or both. Following this, the National Green Tribunal had also filed a suo motu petition against the company. The NGT has directed seven concerned authorities, including ABCI Infrastructure Pvt Ltd in Mizoram, to appear before the tribunal on November 28.
