VISHVENDU JAIPURIAR
Hazaribag, Nov 16: Two labourers from the Chatra district lost their lives in the stone quarry collapse in the Hnahthial district of South Mizoram that took place on Monday. The incident claimed the lives of a total of eight workers.
The two migrant labourers were identified as Om Prakash, a resident of Jorikhurd village, and Khemlal Kumar Mahto, a resident of Kairlibar village.
Their relatives said that the duo went to Mizoram in search of a job around a month ago. They were working there for ABCIL Infrastructure Private Limited. The youths’ family received the information about their demise on Tuesday evening which sparked grief in the area.
Khemlal’s father died four years ago, leaving the responsibility of four sisters on his shoulders, while Om was the youngest of two brothers in his family. He is survived by his three-month-old daughter and wife.
Chatra MP Sunil Kumar Singh assured the youth’s families of help and said he is in touch with the Mizoram officials to bring their bodies home.
“I talked with the chief secretary of Mizoram, Renu Sharma. She assured me of sending the bodies. Even the postmortem has been done,” he added.
Chatra Deputy Commissioner Abu Imran also assured of help to the family as per government provisions.
When the hill collapsed on the workmen on Monday, four labourers were trapped under the debris and are still unaccounted for. In the rescue effort, local police and citizens were assisted by soldiers from the Assam Rifles and the Border Security Force (BSF). A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team made up of two officers and 13 staff members had also arrived at the scene.