Quarry accident in Konni: Missing Bihar worker's body found inside cabin of Hitachi excavator

PATHANAMTHITTA: The body of the Bihar native who had gone missing in the quarry disaster at Payyanamon in Konni has been discovered. The body of Ajay Rai, the driver of the Hitachi excavator, was found during a search operation conducted in the evening with the help of a large JCB machine. The body was found trapped inside the cabin of the excavator. With this, the death toll in the incident has risen to two. Efforts are currently underway to retrieve the body. A disaster response team has reached the site.

The accident occurred while rocks were being dislodged and moved after a blast at the Chengalam Granite Quarry in Payyanamon. Boulders and soil collapsed onto the Hitachi machine, burying the workers beneath. The body of one of the trapped workers was recovered yesterday. The deceased was identified as Mahadev (51), a native of Odisha. The body found today is that of Ajay Rai (38), a native of Bihar, who was working alongside Mahadev.

The District Collector has sought a report on the incident. The Geology Department has been instructed to verify the quarry’s permits and submit an urgent report. Further action will be taken based on the findings, the Collector said.

The accident occurred at 2.30 pm yesterday at the quarry in Payyanamon. Both Mahadev, the excavator operator, and Ajay were inside the Hitachi machine positioned between rock formations when boulders and soil collapsed from a height of about 40 feet onto the excavator.