Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Mines
and Geology B Srinivasa Reddy, on Friday said an ex-gratia of Rs 6
lakh each will be paid to the families of the labourers killed
in the mishap at a granite quarry in Prakasam district through
the owners of the quarry.
The authorities have so far confirmed two deaths but ten
more labourers are feared dead as the adjoining wall of a
quarry caved in on the pit in which 14 labourers were working
near Chimakurthi village last evening.
Two other workers who sustained grievous injuries were
rescued by authorities.
The Minister after visiting the scene of the incident
promised the labourers' kin that an ex-gratia of Rs 6 lakh
each will be paid by the owners of the quarry.
"Ten workers are buried alive under a huge mass of earth,
huge boulders and very very large rocks," Prakasam district
Superintendent of Police Navin Chand said.
"Efforts were on to retrieve their bodies, but it will
take at least two more days to clear the debris," he said.
Rescuers were using explosives to break the rocks and
boulders and search operations were on with the help of
generators, excavators, cranes and other equipment and trained
personnel, the SP said.
Following a complaint, a case was registered against
the Managing Director and other senior officials of Hamsa
Minerals and Exports Limited, which owns the granite quarry,
under different sections of Explosives Act and Mines Act,
Prakasam district SP Navin Chand said.
The Administrative Manager N Chandrasekhara Reddy and
Mines Manager (Quarrying and Safety measures) of the company,
were taken into custody and were being questioned about the
safety norms followed while quarrying.
PTI
First Published: Friday, February 26, 2010, 23:57