New Delhi: At least 4 people have died and several others are feared trapped under debris following a landslide in the Dadam mining zone in Haryana’s Bhiwani district Saturday afternoon.
Rescue operations are under way and the route from the Tosham block in Bhiwani to the Dadam stone mine has been blocked.
District officials in Bhiwani told ThePrint that at least 4 dead bodies have been extracted from the site of the landslide, while 4 others have been rescued and sent to the district hospital.
“We are unsure how many people are still trapped inside. It would be wrong to assign an exact number as eyewitness accounts are differing and many of the eyewitnesses were also not close enough to see how many people were there,” said Bhiwani Additional Deputy Commissioner Rahul Narwal.
“We will ascertain the exact cause and trigger of the landslide once the rescue operations are completed.”
Those caught in the landslide, believed to be miners, were learnt to be travelling to their site of work at the time of the incident and were trapped inside their vehicles.
Mining work in Haryana’s Dadam and Khanak Pahari area resumed Friday, after a two-month ban, imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) due to pollution, was lifted Thursday
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has condoled the deaths and said he is in “constant touch” with the administration.
Saddened by the unfortunate landslide accident in Dadam mining zone at Bhiwani. I am in constant touch with the local administration to ensure swift rescue operations and immediate assistance to the injured.
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) January 1, 2022
State Home Minister Anil Vij said “a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been called from Ghaziabad, and a team of the SDRF summoned from Madhuban to assist with rescue operations”.
He said a unit of the Army has also been called from Hisar as well. The minister also confirmed 4 deaths.
हरियाणा के भिवानी जिले में माइनिंग साइट पर जो हादसा हुआ है उससे मैं बहुत दुखी हूं । प्रशासन द्वारा रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन चलाया जा रहा है । गाजियाबाद से NDRF की मधुबन से SDRF की टीम बुलाई गई है। हिसार से आर्मी की एक यूनिट बुलाई गई है । अभी तक 4 लोगों की मृत्यु हुई है ।
— ANIL VIJ MINISTER HARYANA (@anilvijminister) January 1, 2022
Agriculture Minister J.P. Dalal was at the spot to oversee the rescue operations.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted that he’d spoken to the Haryana Chief Minister, saying they were prioritising saving as many lives as possible.
हरियाणा के भिवानी जिलें में माइनिंग साइट पर लैंडस्लाइड से हुआ हादसा अत्यंत दुःखद है, मैंने मुख्यमंत्री @mlkhattar जी से बात की है। स्थानीय प्रशासन बचाव कार्य में लगा हुआ है, अधिक से अधिक लोगों की जान बचाना हमारी प्राथमिकता है। मैं घायलों के शीघ्र ही स्वस्थ होने की कामना करता हूँ।
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 1, 2022
Congress alleges illegal mining
Meanwhile, reacting to the incident, the Congress has accused the Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana of allowing “illegal mining” to continue in the state.
नए साल के मौक़े पर भिवानी, हरियाणा के नाजायज़ खनन हादसे में मज़दूर भाइयों की मौत की ख़बर अत्यंत दुःखदायी है।
गहन चिंता का विषय ये है कि दर्जनों मज़दूर व मशीन पत्थरों व मलबे के नीचे दबे हैं।
रोक के बावजूद नाजायज़ माइनिंग सीधे खट्टर सरकार के संरक्षण में हो रही है।
1/2 pic.twitter.com/KXCU31RQaS— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) January 1, 2022
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala alleged that those close to the government were involved in this “illegal mining trade” and asked if the government would conduct an inquiry into the same.
2/2
क्या CM/DyCM जबाब देंगे-1. नाजायज़ खनन खुले आम सरकार की नाक के नीचे कैसे हो रहा?
2.सरकार के कौन सफ़ेदपोश इस धंधे से करोड़ों लूट रहे?
3. नाजायज़ खनन की लूट में कौन कौन हिस्सेदार?
4. मज़दूरों की मौत की ज़िम्मेवारी सरकार में किसकी?
5. क्या खनन रैकेट की न्यायिक जाँच होगी? pic.twitter.com/S7JoERVdjQ
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) January 1, 2022
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)