2 killed, 2 injured in illegal stone quarry blast in Rourkela

Rourkela: Two labourers were killed while two others sustained injuries after a blast took place in an illegal stone quarry near Jalada in Rourkela on Thursday.

As per sources, the incident occurred this morning when the stone blast firing was being carried out illegally at the A block quarry in Munda slum.

Suddenly a few explosives fixed in the quarry went off and two persons identified as Ram Prasad Lohar and Jagannath Samari died on the spot.

Two other labourers who sustained injuries were rushed to Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) where they are undergoing treatment.

Getting information, police rushed to the spot and initiated an investigation into the incident. “Among the two injured, condition of one is stated to be critical while the other has sustained minor injuries,” said a police official.

Rourkela Sub-Collector, Himanshu Shekhar Behera said, “A number of stone quarries are operating illegally in the area and in the forests. We conduct raids at regular intervals. Because they have crushers nearby, they crush these stones and consume there itself. Whenever a blast takes place, we get information. The stones don't get transported to other places, which is why we get less information. In the last one week, we have collected almost Rs 2.5 lakh. We will investigate all the crushers and check the metals they extract.”

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in the area after the owner running the illegal stone mines fled the spot soon after the incident.