Bhubaneswar, July 2 (UNI) At least three labourers, all tribals, engaged in extracting manganese ores from an illegal mine in Odisha’s Keonjhar district were crushed to death after huge debris fell on them, police said today.
The accident took place at Dala Pahada hillock within the protected forest area where the mining activity is prohibited under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Heavy rain that lashed the area triggered a landslide, leading to the death of three labourers, said inspector-in-charge, Joda Police Station, Sushant Pradhan.
The deceased are identified as Sandeep Purty (32), Kande Munda (19), and Guru Champia (18), all natives of forest-side Bichakundi village under Joda police station limits. Their bodies were retrieved from the debris after a four-hour-long operation.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway. Mining and forest officials have been informed of the illegal extraction of ores from the protected zone, said an official.
Keonjhar, one of the major mineral producing districts of Odisha, is endowed with a rich reserve of iron ore, manganese ore, chromite, quartzite, bauxite and limestone.
The district has abundant reserves of high-grade iron and manganese ores. The economy of the region is mostly regulated by a mining-based economy.
The pilferage of ores through illegal mining is rampant in the region.
