Two killed after rocks collapse in Dhenkanal

At least two persons were killed after rocks collapsed at an unauthorised stone quarry in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district, officials said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday evening when some workers were engaged in drilling and exploration of stone from the quarry located near Gopalpur village under Motanga police station limits in the district, they said.

The exact cause behind the incident is not yet clear. Teams of the local fire service, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), along with a dog squad, were engaged in rescue operations, an officer said. Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and SP Abhinav Sonkar have reached the spot to supervise the rescue operation.

“As per available information, only two persons were there, and two bodies were recovered. One person belonged to Balasore district, while another deceased was from either Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj district.

Their identities have not yet been established,” Patil told reporters. Blasting permission at the stone quarry expired in September while its lease period ended in December 2025, he said.

“We will take legal action against the mine lease holder as blasting and mining continued at the quarry after expiry of the lease period,” Patil said. The collector said that enforcement drives against illegal mining in the district will be strengthened in the coming days.

The stone quarry was sealed following the incident. Local Tahsildar Manoj Majhi said police personnel will be deployed at the quarry so that no one can enter the area. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, in a social media post, said, “I am deeply saddened to learn that workers lost their lives due to a rockfall following an explosion in a stone quarry in Dhenkanal. At this sorrowful time, I convey my deepest condolences to the family members, along with prayers for the eternal peace of the departed souls.

“Let appropriate investigations be conducted into the circumstances under which this incident occurred and the state of the workers’ safety measures, and let the Government direct its attention toward immediately expediting rescue operations.”