Aizawl: At least 12 people were feared trapped after a stone quarry collapsed in south Mizoram’s Hnahthial district about 160 km from Aizawl on Monday, a senior police officer said.
The incident occurred at around 3 pm when labourers of ABCI Infrastructure Private Limited were working at the quarry site in Maudarh village, about 43-minute travel from Hnahthial town, Hnahthial superintendent of police (SP) Vineet Kumar said.
He said that 13 people were working at the stone place when it caved in.
While one worker managed to escape from the spot, the remaining 12 are feared to be buried under the debris, Kumar said.
“A rescue operation is in progress and no dead body had been recovered from the debris till 7:30 pm on Monday,” the senior police officer said
Sources said that Hnahthial district officials and a medical team also rushed to the spot soon after the incident.
People familiar with the incident said that loose soil caved in from the above while the labourers were breaking and collecting the stones at the quarry.
Volunteers of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) from nearby villages also rushed to the spot for the rescue operation, they said. Around seven earth excavators were also buried under the debris, sources said.
Maudarh is a small hamlet located about 23 km away from Hnahthial town and 39 km away from Lunglei town. The ABCI company, which is currently constructing a highway between Hnahthial and Dawn village, collects stones or boulders for the Maudarh quarry.
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