Landslide At MCL: CM Naveen Announces Rs 5 lakh Ex-Gratia

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced an Ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the family of workers who died during a landslide incident at Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL)'s Bharatpur coal mine in Talcher on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, the death toll into the incident rose to 3 with the recovery of two more bodies from the mining site where the landslide happened.

The deceased have been identified as site supervisor Rashmi Ranjan Behera and Sibarampur pump house operator Rajkishore Mohapatra. Since one more person is still missing, rescuers are continuing efforts to trace the body despite inclement weather.

A 30-member NDRF team and MCL’s security personnel, local police and district administration have been carrying out the search operation to trace the missing bodies following the incident.

It may be noted that one person was recovered dead while nine others were injured following a landslide due to the blasting for coal exploration at an open cast mine of MCL in Bharatpur. The injured are being treated at the company’s Central hospital.