Several workers might be trapped under rubble after a big iron structure, called a coal hopper, fell at a cement factory in Rajgangpur, Odisha, on Thursday evening. This happened while more than a dozen workers were near the site.
Local police quickly arrived to help remove the debris. “The coal hopper suddenly fell down. We are at the scene now. We are using cranes to lift the rubble. So far, we haven’t reported any injuries or deaths, but we think some workers might be trapped under the debris since they usually work underneath this structure,” said Manaranjan Pradhan, the police officer in charge.
After the collapse, many workers’ families gathered outside the factory, worried about their loved ones. Some family members reported that they couldn’t hear their workers responding to their calls for help.
Assam Coal Mine Rescue Operations
In related news, the Assam government has ordered an investigation into a different recent incident where nine workers were stuck in the Umrangso coal mine. Four bodies have been found so far, but five workers are still missing. The mine flooded suddenly on January 6th, trapping the workers.
Due to some underground water issues, rescuers are having a hard time getting to the remaining workers. The government has promised ₹10 lakh (about $13,000) to families of each victim. Rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, and Army members, are still working hard to save the trapped miners.
Leave a Reply