Quarry accident in Konni; district collector seeks emergency report, search for missing worker begins

PATHANAMTHITTA: A search has been started for the worker trapped in the quarry accident in Konni. The incident happened following a massive rockfall at the quarry in Payyanamon near Konni in Pathanamthitta. Stones and soil fell on top of the Hitachi excavator. Mahadev Pradhan (51) of Odisha from Bihar, who was operating the excavator had died. Search is on for Ajay Kumar Rai (38) also from Bihar, who was with Pradhan. The district collector has sought an emergency report. The collector directed the geological department to submit an emergency report after examining the permission of the quarry. The collector said further action will be taken after getting the report.

The accident occurred at 2.30 pm yesterday at the quarry in Payyanamon. The operator Mahadev and his assistant Ajay were in the Hitachi in the middle of the rocks. A huge rock dislodged and fell on the machine from a height of 40 feet burying them under the rubble.

Two and a half hours were taken by the police and the fire force to reach the site. Mahadev's body was found at 6.30 pm during a search conducted with a crane. The disaster relief team arrived, but the search could not continue at night as the rocks were falling.

District Collector S Prem Krishnan, district police chief Vinod Kumar, deputy collector Rajalakshmi, Konni Tehsildar Santosh Kumar, district panchayat members Jijo Modi and V T Ajomon, Konni grama panchayat president Annie Sabu and block panchayat member Praveen Plavilayil led the rescue operations. One had died in the accident in the same place a year ago.