Rescue operation at quarry progressing at slow pace

The rescue operation at the Chengalam quarry in Payyanamon Thazham village, Konni, in Pathanamthitta district, resumed on Tuesday evening following temporary suspension caused by repeated rockslides at the site.

Though the operation resumed later at a slow pace after a crane arrived from Karunagapally, the unstable terrain continued to hinder efforts throughout the day. The narrow and rugged hill route is also making it difficult to bring in a larger crane, rescue personnel said. 

However, with the arrival of heavy-duty iron ropes and three excavators, the mission gathered momenum by the evening .

According to an official at the site, the excavator buried under massive boulders will be secured using the iron rope, which rescuers are carrying into the pit by climbing down with larger ropes. Once the buried machine is tied, the other end of the rope will be fastened to the three excavators stationed above, which will attempt to pull the trapped equipment and hopefully the worker out from the debris.

The evening leg of the operation began around 6 p.m

Fire and Rescue Services personnel described the mission as like carrying out a rescue from the height of a 15 to 20-storey building. “But instead of floors, it’s loose, sliding rock,” said an official

District Collector Premkrishnan K. said officials were aiming to complete the operation by Tuesday itself, but acknowledged that the threat of rocks dislodging from above poses a serious risk to those on site.

Earlier in the day, four members of the rescue team used special ropes to reach the accident zone and inspect the area where the earthmover machine was buried. The cabin of the machine lies completely covered under large boulders. According to officials, removing the debris using manpower is not feasible and a crane is essential to move forward.

Authorities have already recovered the body of Mahadev Pradhan (51), a native of Odisha. The search is now focused on locating the second missing worker, identified as Ajay Kumar Rai (38) from Bihar.

The landslide occurred on Monday afternoon while workers were preparing a platform to break rocks using the earthmover. A section of the hill gave way, burying the machine beneath a massive pile of debris. It took several hours for the Fire Force team to reach the area and retrieve Mahadev’s body.

The family of the missing worker, Ajay Kumar Rai, has reached the quarry. Ajay, a migrant worker from Simarla village in Begusarai, Bihar, was the sole breadwinner for his wife and three children