At least two persons 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 when workers were engaged in drilling and stone exploration at the quarry near Gopalpur village under Motanga police station limits in the district.
The exact cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained. Teams from the local fire service, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and a dog squad were deployed for rescue operations, an officer said.
Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and Superintendent of Police Abhinav Sonkar reached the spot to supervise the rescue efforts. “As per available information, only two persons were present at the site and two bodies have been recovered. One person belonged to Balasore district, while the other deceased was from either Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj district. Their identities have not yet been established,” Patil told reporters.
The Collector said blasting permission for the stone quarry had expired in September, while its lease period ended in December 2025. “We will take legal action against the mine lease holder as blasting and mining continued at the quarry after the expiry of the lease period,” he said.
Patil added that enforcement drives against illegal mining in the district would be intensified in the coming days.
The stone quarry has been sealed following the incident.
Local Tahsildar Manoj Majhi said police personnel would be deployed at the quarry to prevent unauthorised entry into the area.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, in a post on X, said, “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. Let appropriate investigations be conducted into the circumstances under which this incident occurred and the state of the workers’ safety measures.”
