Eleven long days after two JCB operators got trapped under the debris at a stone quarry near Bariput in the district, the body of one of them was recovered on Sunday.
This was following the Army Engineering personnel carried out controlled blasts and managed to remove some of the huge boulders.
The identity of the deceased was not immediately ascertained. The authorities have called up the family members of the two JCB operators to identify the body.
The rescue operation, which is being carried out in the presence of the district Collector and the SP was hit by rain.
The district Collector said no time frame can be set for the operations.
According to sources, two JCB operators, identified as Ghanshyam Guru and Sanjay Dash of Deogarh district, were busy excavating boulders by JCBs at the stone quarry around 7 pm on May 31, when the quarry caved in.
A joint team of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and fire officials were engaged at the quarry operated by one DD Construction limited to rescue the JCB operators, but failed in the mission. Subsequently, a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also rushed to the spot, but it also failed.
later, the administration sought the help of Army. A team of Army Engineers from Ranchi conducted a series of minor blasts at the quarry and managed to recover a body.