Dhenkanal: At least two persons were killed after rocks collapsed following an alleged explosion at an unauthorised stone quarry in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district.
Officials said the incident took place on Saturday night when some workers were engaged in drilling and exploration of stone from the quarry located near Gopalpur village under the jurisdiction of Motanga police station.
The exact cause behind the incident is not yet clear. Teams of local fire service, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), along with 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 at the site, and two bodies were recovered. One person belonged to Balasore district, while another deceased was from either Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj district. Their identities are yet to be established, Patil told reporters.
Blasting permission at the stone quarry expired in September while its lease period ended in December 2025. “We will take legal action against the mine lease holder as blasting and mining continued at the quarry after expiry of the lease period,” he 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.
