Seven migrant labourers lost their lives and five others were injured after a massive rock broke away from a hillside and crashed into a stone quarry near Madapatna village on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Thursday. The Karnataka government has ordered an inquiry to determine whether the quarry was operating in compliance with mining and safety regulations.
The accident occurred at the Kaveri Crusher quarry in Bengaluru South taluk, where police, fire and rescue teams, and officials from the Department of Mines and Geology launched a rescue operation using heavy machinery to clear debris and recover the victims.
The deceased include five workers from Madhya Pradesh, one from Chhattisgarh, and one from Karnataka. Five injured labourers were shifted for medical treatment, while four others at the site escaped unharmed.
According to police, two adjoining quarries were operating at different levels when the incident occurred. Preliminary findings suggest that drilling and excavation activities at the upper quarry may have destabilised the slope, causing a huge rock to slide downhill onto workers below. Authorities said negligence cannot be ruled out and will be investigated.
An eyewitness said the hillside collapsed within seconds, leaving the workers with no opportunity to escape. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stated that initial reports indicate the tragedy was caused by soil erosion rather than blasting. He added that the government will examine whether the quarry had the necessary permissions and whether mandatory safety measures were being followed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. The official investigation into the cause of the collapse is underway.
