Barbil: A man, believed to be a rag picker, died after he got trapped inside a garbage heap while picking charcoal at a dumping yard of Kalinga Iron Works at Matkambeda under Barbil police limits in Keonjhar district, Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Raghunath Das, 50, of Topno hutting.
According to sources, Raghunath and some of his friends had gone to collect charcoal from the dumping yard. They were digging with crowbars when suddenly a heap caved in and Raghunath was trapped inside it.
His friends shouted for help and tried to rescue him but in vain. On being informed, police and fire personnel started a rescue operation.
A JCB machine was engaged in the operation. After hours’ long operation, Raghunath was rescued in an unconscious state and rushed to a nearby community health centre where doctors declared him brought dead.
Even though the Kalinga Iron Works has been closed for the last couple of years, the charcoal dumping yard has not been fenced. The labourers who once used to earn their livelihood working at the plant are now jobless.
The workers collect charcoal from the dumping yard to use it as fuel or sell it in the market for a little money.
Many such accidents occurred at the dumping yard earlier as well, but the plant authorities hardly took steps to check the trespass. Local residents said legal action should be initiated against the company authorities for their whimsical attitude.
PNN