The search for three workers suspected to have been buried under a mound of debris after the collapse of a stone quarry near Gundlupet has led to the recovery of one body, on Saturday.
The victim was identified as Azimullah, aged around 25 of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and search is on to locate two more workers feared to be trapped. Azimullah’s body was sent to the Chamarajanagar Government Hospital for post-mortem. The two others missing were identified as Sarfaraz and Miraz.
Earlier in the day district in-charge Minister V. Somanna said that there were 24 workers at the site when the quarry collapsed but they had accounted for 21 workers so far and search was on for two others who were still missing. Three others who were rescued late on Friday and are undergoing treatment in a hospital were named as Ashraf, Nasiruddin, and Francis.
A few workers from the quarry site told presspersons that Azimullah was the operator of the heavy earth-moving equipment and is suspected to have been trapped when the boulders and debris came crashing down.
The NDRF and SDRF personnel toiled for more than 10 hours before they could retrieve the body of Azimullah from the heap of boulders and debris.
The stone quarry is located at Madahalli in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district and the NDRF and SDRF teams helped by Fire and Emergency Services personnel began their work around 6.30 a.m.
The team was cautiously going about its job as there were concerns that the quarry wall was precariously poised and could slide again. Mr. Somanna said the unit would be closed permanently and the owner, Mahendra, and his staff operating the quarry would be prosecuted. The Gundlupet police have registered a case and are investigating.
