Quarry mishap: Rocks fall on Hitachi excavator, two workers trapped; rescue operations in progress

PATHANAMTHITTA: A major mishap occurred at a quarry in Konni, Pathanamthitta, when massive rocks came crashing down on a Hitachi excavator, leaving at least two migrant workers trapped beneath the rubble. Rescue operations are in progress. Preliminary information indicates that the rocks collapsed onto the machinery during ongoing work at the site. The trapped workers have been identified as Mahadev and Ajay Rai, natives of Odisha and Jharkhand, respectively.

The incident occurred around 3 PM, shortly after the workers resumed duty following their lunch break. Officials are also probing whether more individuals may be caught under the debris.

Accessing the accident site has proven to be a major challenge due to the difficult terrain. Although police and fire and rescue services have arrived at the scene, they have been unable to access the Hitachi excavator directly. A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is expected to join the rescue efforts soon.