Sivaganga: On May 20, while drilling blast holes for placing explosives at the Mega Blue Metal Crusher quarry in Mallakottai near Singampunari, the quarry suddenly collapsed, burying 11 workers, Ganesan, Muruganandam, Arumugam, Andisamy, Michael, and six others, including a bogie driver from Odisha, Harshid. Three workers died on the spot, while three others, who were rushed to the hospital, succumbed to their injuries without receiving treatment.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had announced that Rs 4 lakhs each would be given to the families of those who died in the accident, and Rs 1 lakh would be given to the injured and undergoing treatment in the hospital. In this backdrop, Mallakottai Village Administrative Officer Balamurugan filed a complaint against five people, including quarry owner Meghavarman (48), following the accident.
Based on the complaint, the SS Kottai police registered a case and are investigating. A special police team led by Tirupattur Deputy Superintendent of Police Selvakumar was searching for the accused in the quarry collapse. Upon learning that a case had been registered against them, the quarry owner Meghavarman and others went into hiding.
During the intensive search, the police arrested Kamaladasan (45), the brother of the quarry owner Meghavarman, and Kalaiyarasan (32), a quarry supervisor from E Malampatti in Madurai district. The police are also searching for three people, including the quarry owner Meghavarman, who are absconding.
Meanwhile, district administration officials who inspected the Mega Blue Metal Crusher quarry, where the accident occurred, found that it was operating in violation of regulations and lacked adequate safety measures for workers. As a result, the district administration has temporarily suspended the quarry’s licence.
Read more: Sivaganga Quarry Accident: 5 Die As Rocks Cave-in At A Blue-metal Mining Site in Tamil Nadu
