Six workers were trapped inside a 250-foot-deep stone quarry at Adaimithippankulam near Munneerpallam in Tirunelveli district after a giant boulder rolled down into the quarry pit on Saturday night.
The police managed to rescue three workers — Selvam, Vijay from Nattarkulam, and Murugan of Vittilapuram. Rescue operation to pull out three others — Murugan, Rajendran and Selvakumar — was under way, Inspector General of Police (South Zone), Asra Garg, told The Hindu.
Fire and Rescue services personnel from Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kannaiyakumari districts have been pressed into service.
While a Naval helicopter from Uchipuli came to the accident site on Sunday morning, based on the request from the district administration, the depth of the quarry of Venkateswara Crusher unit was hindering the helicopter’s operation.
Later, the officials sought the help of professional rock-climbers, who managed to rescue the two workers.
According to police sources, three cranes and three trucks were in the quarry pit when the huge boulder came down crashing around 11.30 p.m.
Loose soil that was holding the rock could have been washed away in the rain leading to the rock rolling down, a police officer said.
Efforts were on to break the rock to rescue the trapped workers, the police said. Tirunelveli district Collector Vishnu and Superintendent of Police P. Saravanan, were at the spot supervising the rescue operation.
Stalin announces compensation
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday announced compensation of ₹1 lakh to each of the six quarry workers from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.
In a statement, the Chief Minister said he had deputed Minister for BC Welfare R.S. Rajakannappan and Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management to oversee rescue and relief measures. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel from Arakkonam had also been rushed there.
