Mizoram stone quarry collapse: 8 bodies recovered, four still missing

#JUSTIN:On November 14 at around 2.40 pm,a massive earthslide after quarry blast in a stone quarry,occurred at Maudarh,Hnahthial district in Mizoram.BSF rescue team was sent,8 bodies have been recovered so far. Efforts are on to retrieve 4 more missing persons:BSF.@IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/RsrJ3yMoZT

— Mahender Singh Manral (@mahendermanral) November 15, 2022

Speaking to indianexpress.com, Dr Tetea, a senior official of the Hnahthial district administration, said rescue operations conducted by the BSF and other personnel have recovered eight bodies so far while four persons are still missing. He said the search operation is day and night. Officials added an excavator has been engaged at the site which is still looking for the other missing persons.

In a video from the collapse site, several labourers were seen escaping while the quarry was caving in, however many were reportedly trapped. (Source: BSF)

Hnahthial district deputy commissioner R Lalremsanga had earlier said the search and rescue operations would continue till all the missing persons are found.

“The post-mortem examination has already been done. Out of eight bodies, seven bodies will be transported in a flight to West Bengal. The eighth body will be transported by road to Assam,” Dr Tetea said.

Shocking and disturbing video… Video shot when accident happened.Several laborers feared trapped after a stone quarry collapses in #Mizoram pic.twitter.com/AbqJHRrLOV

— DINESH SHARMA (@medineshsharma) November 14, 2022

The official added that the bodies were already headed for Aizawl where they would be first embalmed at the civic hospital and then they would be flown to West Bengal Wednesday morning.

BSF officials rescue trapped labourers. (Source: BSF)

Dr Tetea added, “The breach is too much. Not only the victims, even the excavators are surrounded by debris. There are little chances of survival of the missing persons.”

The landslide has affected an area of nearly 5,000 square metre around the quarry, which is owned and operated by ABCI, an agency engaged in widening a part of the national highway between the Hnahthial township and Dawn village.