Two Workers Die in Explosion at Illegal Odisha Quarry

At least two workers died and others may still be trapped following a powerful explosion and subsequent rock collapse at an unauthorized stone quarry in Odisha's Dhenkanal district, officials reported Sunday.

The incident occurred late Saturday evening at a quarry near Gopalpur village in the Motanga area, under the jurisdiction of Motanga police station. Workers were engaged in drilling and blasting operations when the explosion triggered a large portion of rocks to collapse, burying those at the site beneath debris. Fire services personnel recovered two bodies from the rubble, with one victim from Balasore district and the other from either Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj district. Their identities have not been confirmed.

Rescue operations continued into Sunday, led by teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, local fire services, and a dog squad. Earthmoving equipment, including JCB excavators, was deployed to carefully clear the debris, while the area was cordoned off to secure the site and restrict access. Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and Superintendent of Police Abhinav Sonkar oversaw the efforts on location. "As per available information, only two persons were...