Nagpur : Three labourers were killed near Kamptee Colliery of Western Coalfileds Ltd (WCL) on Friday morning triggering unrest in the area for a while. As per reports, the incident occurred during illegal excavation was on at MIDC’s open area in Fukat Nagar of Kanhan town. As the labourers were engaged in work the soil dump caved in trapping the trio underneath the heap of soil.
MIDC has acquired land adjoining the colliery but same is lying vacant since long. Since last few years some elements started illegal excavation for soil and same are loaded in tractor trolleys and sold in the town. The soil is used for filling and hence there is large demand for the same.
Today also between 9.30 to 10 pm four labourers were picking up soil and loading it one of the trolleys. After a while the four stopped work and were resting at the place when the soil dump gave away and fell trapping them underneath it.
The incident happened so quickly that nobody could reach out to the labourers in time. By the time rescue operation started the trio had suffocated to death as reaching to them in the heap of soil took considerable time, said the eyewitnesses.
About two days back the area had witnessed rains due to which the labourers suffocated as the heavy soil made it impossible for them to breath. WCL officers and Kanhan police reached the spot on getting information about the displacement of a soil dump. An excavator was pressed into action and the soil was removed and bodies of three labourers were found underneath it.
The deceased three are identified as Shivkumar Manhane (40), Gangaprasad Jalghare (45) and Kanhaiyyalal Chandan (25). The fourth labourers Suresh Kanojiya (22) escaped luckily as he was few feets away from the trio. The spot where the soil dump fell was at mine no 4.
Illegal excavation for sand, soil and coal is rampant in Kanhan and adjoining areas. Last year on October 22, two persons had died while stealing coal from Gondegaon mine that was closed by WCL. The two Ritesh Chawre (25) and Satish Deshmukh, both residents of B B Colony, Kamptee, had died after they slipped and fell down.
Meanwhile, Shiv Kumar Yadav, President, HMS Labour Union, WCL, rushed to spot with other officers-bearers and demanded compensation to family of next of kin. Sharad Donekar, Vice-President, Zilla Parishad, also rushed to the spot. Sabir Siddiqui, Member, Panchayat Samiti, was also at the spot.
Yadav has demanded immediate crackdown on illegal excavation in mine area to avoid such tragedies. MLA Mallikarjun Reddy, Adv Ashish Jaiswal, ex-MLA, S Q Zama, ex-MLC, also supported demand for compensation.
Illegal Excavation: Varun Sahare, Tehsildar, Parsheoni, admitted that the incident occurred due to illegal excavation. He informed that Revenue Department has been taking action against illegal sand excavation from time to time. A tractor in which the soil was being loaded was seized by the cops.
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