Odisha: 2 killed, several feared trapped in stone quarry

In Odisha, several people are feared to be dead after a large portion of rocks collapsed at a stone quarry in Dhenkanal district, officials said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday evening when some workers were engaged in drilling and exploration of stone from the quarry located near Gopalpur village under Motanga police station limits in the district, they said. "Two to four people have been trapped beneath large stones. Machinery is being used to cut through these stones and evacuate those trapped inside. Two teams from the fire department have been deployed, and a dog squad is also assisting at the site," fire officer Nabaghana Mallik told a news agency..Two dead bodies have been recovered so far.

Dhenkanal, Odisha: Two labourers died at a road metal quarry near Ranibania under Motanga police station after a blast caused large rocks to fall on them. pic.twitter.com/HQSIzkIx47

— IANS (@ians_india) January 4, 2026

How many workers are trapped under the rocks, and the exact cause behind the incident has not yet been cleared. However, local fire service teams, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, along with dog squad and machines engaged in rescue operations, have been rushed to the area, a fire service officer said.Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and SP Abhinav Sonkar have reached the spot to supervise the rescue operation.