Two bodies recovered after explosion at stone quarry in Odisha’s Dhenkanal

At least two bodies have been recovered from a stone quarry near Gopalpur village under the Motanga area of Odisha’s Dhenkanal district following an explosion at the site on Saturday night, officials said.

Multiple teams of the fire services and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been deployed, and the search operation has been intensified to trace two more workers believed to be trapped under debris.

According to officials, the explosion occurred at around 8.30 pm on Saturday when at least four workers were engaged in quarrying activities at the site. Following the blast, a large patch of loose earth caved in, burying workers and hampering immediate rescue efforts.

Due to poor visibility at night and concerns over possible elephant movement in the area, the search operation was scaled down and resumed early on Sunday morning. During the renewed operation, rescue teams recovered two bodies from the debris.

Officials said the identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained, though they are believed to be from Odisha’s Balasore and Keonjhar districts.

Senior district officials, including the collector and the superintendent of police, were present at the site to monitor the rescue operation and coordinate efforts among various agencies.

When contacted, a senior official said the immediate priority was to recover the remaining bodies and ensure that no person was still trapped inside the quarry site.

Local residents alleged that mining operations at the quarry had been suspended in September due to the absence of mandatory clearances, and that the lease period for the quarry had expired in December. The allegations have not yet been independently verified by authorities.

Officials said a probe would be initiated to ascertain whether the agency operating the quarry had valid permission to conduct blasting and quarrying activities at the time of the explosion and whether prescribed safety norms were being followed.

The cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, and further details are awaited as rescue and inquiry proceedings continue.