Boudh: A labourer was crushed to death under a huge boulder allegedly while illegally mining gemstones from the Mahanadi riverbed in Boudh district.
The deceased was identified as Susant Jhankar, 30, of Baradakata village under Kiakata police limits in Angul district.
He died on the spot Friday after fellow labourers and fire personnel failed to rescue him from under the boulder. The incident has sparked shockwaves in the area.
Boudh police also rushed to the spot and retrieved the body of the deceased with the help of Hitachi excavator after a 24-hour long ordeal. The body has been sent for post-mortem to the district headquarters hospital in Boudh.
It is alleged that some mafia had engaged around 10 to 15 labourers to excavate precious gemstones like diamonds from the area. The incident occurred when a huge boulder fell on one of the labourers Jhankar during the excavation of the riverbed for diamonds. Other labourers tried to rescue the trapped Jhankar but could not rescue him.
Later, the fire personnel from Boudh reached the spot and started a rescue operation but had to abort the operation after evening. Moreover, they also found it hard to move the huge boulder which had fallen over Jhankar.
Police personnel resumed the rescue operation with the help of an excavator and rescued the trapped labourer, Saturday. He, however, had died by then.
Locals have demanded strict action against the persons responsible for engaging the labourers in illegal gemstone mining.
PNN