Sonbhadra Mine Disaster: Rescue Ops On As 15 Workers Feared Trapped, 1 Confirmed Dead

A major collapse of a stone mine in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district on Saturday triggered panic across the region, leaving one worker dead and around 15 others feared trapped beneath heavy debris. The incident took place in the Billi Markundi mining area under the Obra police station in the mining belt.

One person dead

Initial reports said that the mine suddenly caved in during routine work. The body of one dead worker has already been recovered, officials said. Rescue teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with rescue units of two private companies and Obra Thermal Power Project, were pressed into service to carry out an intensive search and rescue operation. District Magistrate Badrinath Singh, who reached the site soon after the collapse, informed that more heavy machinery, compressors, and earth-moving equipment were being mobilized to speed up the operation.

Cause of accident is unclear

The cause of the collapse is still unknown, but authorities have assured that an investigation will be launched into what triggered the disaster. A Uttar Pradesh minister visiting the mine has said around a dozen people were working inside the mine when the roof caved in, adding that strict action would be taken if negligence is found.

A number of workers who were at the site recollected the moments before the collapse. Chhotu Yadav of Karmasar said his two brothers, Santosh Yadav and Indrajit Yadav, were still trapped. Another worker said nine compressors were operating together, with one person deployed at each compressor station.

Advanced Rescue operation 

The rescue operation was supervised throughout the evening by senior officials, including Obra Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vivek Kumar Singh, Circle Officer Harsh Pandey, Obra police station in-charge Vijay Chaurasia, and Chopan SHO Kumud Shekhar Singh.

As rescue personnel fought against unstable debris and narrowing passages, families of the trapped workers gathered anxiously at the site, waiting for good news. The operation continued well into the night as there was growing concern over the safety of those who were still buried inside. The Sonbhadra mine tragedy has once again brought into sharp focus serious questions pertaining to mining safety and regulatory oversight, and the pressing need for stricter enforcement of labour and safety norms in high-risk mining districts.

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