Aizawl, Nov. 16 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives in the stone quarry collapse in Mizoram.
He also said the injured persons in the tragic incident would be given Rs 50,000 each.
The death toll rose to 10 in the stone quarry collapse in South Mizoram’s Hnahthial district as two more bodies were recovered from the site, an official said earlier in the day.
“My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones due to the tragic stone quarry collapse in Mizoram. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh would be given from PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund) to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000,” the PM said on Twitter.
Of the deceased, five were from West Bengal, two each from Jharkhand and neighbouring Assam and one from Mizoram’s Lunglei district, the official said.
Overall 12 people were confirmed to have been trapped after the stone quarry caved in at Maudarh village, about 23 km from Hnahthial town, on Monday.
The incident occurred around 2.40 pm on November 14 when the workers were working at the site, according to the district administration.
Hnahthial district Deputy Commissioner R Lalremsanga said, “Two more bodies have been recovered from the debris on Tuesday night after an intense search operation. With these recoveries, 10 of the 12 people trapped under the debris of the stone quarry have been found.”.
The two missing persons are residents of Mizoram and Assam, he said.
Search operations will continue till all the missing persons are found, the official said.
“Of the five deceased persons from West Bengal, four, identified as Madan Das, Rakesh Biswas, Mintu Mandal and Buddhadeb Mondal, were from Nadia district, while Subrata Raptan was from North 24 Parganas. Two victims from Assam - Surjit Roy and Shofiqul Islam – hailed from Cachar and Goalpara districts respectively,” he said.
Two deceased persons from Jharkhand – Khemlal Kumar and Omprakash Kumar - were from Chatra, the official said, adding that the victim from Mizoram's Lunglei was identified as Kahamrai..
Hnahthial Superintendent of Police (SP) Vineet Kumar had said that thirteen people were working when a massive landslide occurred at the stone quarry and only one labourer managed to escape from the spot.
Eyewitnesses claimed that workers had dug too deep and had upset the stability of the stone quarry, resulting in the collapse.
Lalremsanga had said that five earth excavators, a stone crusher and a drilling machine were also completely buried under the debris.
He said the area impacted by the landslide is approximately 5,000 square metres.
The stone quarry is owned by ABCI Infrastructures Pvt Ltd, a construction company, which employed the workers.
The company has been executing the widening of a section of the national highway between Hnathial town and Dawn village.