Bengaluru: A massive rock collapse at a stone crusher in Madapatna, Bengaluru South taluk, on Thursday morning killed eight daily-wage labourers from Bihar and West Bengal and injured about 15 others, police said.
The collapse occurred at a stone-crushing unit while workers were engaged in quarrying operations, Bengaluru police officials said. The identities of the deceased have not yet been established. Around 15 injured labourers were taken to a private hospital for treatment, authorities added.
The crusher operator told police the accident happened between 6 am and 6:30 am after vibrations from blasting caused boulders to dislodge and roll down, as reported by The New Indian Express. He said he had earlier warned the quarry owner about unstable boulders on the upper side of the quarry and pressed for their removal, but that no action was taken. As a result, he said, the workers had no time to escape when the rocks came crashing down.
“There were about 18 workers at the site. A huge rock fell from about 40 feet on the workers,” one of the labourers said.
The falling boulders also crushed tractors and other vehicles used to transport workers and materials, causing extensive damage, police said.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar expressed his anguish over the tragedy in a post on X, noting: “The collapse of a crusher wall in Madapattana of Bengaluru South Taluk has caused the death of seven workers, bringing immense sorrow.” He stressed that “it is the duty of quarry owners to ensure the life safety and security of workers engaged in quarry operations.”
Rescue teams and police personnel rushed to the site and launched operations to clear debris and search for any other trapped workers. The area was cordoned off as officials carried out the rescue and recovery work, Bengaluru police said.
MLA S T Somashekar demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family of each deceased worker and called for criminal cases against those responsible, including the quarry owner and concerned officials.
Alleging that he had repeatedly raised safety concerns about the quarry with authorities, Somashekar said his warnings had been ignored and added that “Had timely action been taken, the tragedy could have been prevented.” He said he would raise the issue with the Chief Minister and press for strict action against those responsible.
