Amidst rescue work, orders for investigation of landslide in Bhiwani mine, at least one more feared trapped

Amid fears that at least one more worker was trapped after a landslide at an open-cast mining site in Bhiwani’s Dadam, a BJP MP on Sunday alleged violation of several mining parameters at the site.

Four people were killed, two were injured and at least one is still feared trapped under rubble at a mining site after a landslide early Saturday. The rescue work is to be continued till at least Monday.

Speaking to reporters in Bhiwani after visiting the accident site, the ruling BJP MP from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, Dharambir Singh, alleged violation of several prescribed norms for mining at at least four sites in the Dadam mining area.

He said that he would request Chief Minister ML Khattar to order a thorough probe into the landslide and its causes so that such incidents do not recur. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Panchkula, Chief Minister ML Khattar, however, said that he has already directed the mining department to ascertain whether the norms prescribed for mining at the site were violated.

“If any violation is found, action will be taken,” he said. Meanwhile, Bhiwani Deputy Commissioner Ripudaman Singh said on Sunday that the rescue operation at the spot is still on and it is being led by the NDRF. “Four people died in the incident while two were injured,” Deputy Commissioner Singh, who visited the spot and regularly supervised the rescue operation, said.

“At least one more person is trapped under the debris,” sub-divisional magistrate Manish Phogat said earlier in the day, referring to the register that keeps records of workers at the site. The SDM did not rule out the possibility of a strange person like Sahayak being trapped as his records may not have been kept.

“The rescue operation is likely to continue till Monday afternoon,” Phogat said. He said it was taking time to move the large boulders, even earlier in the morning there was fog, but it cleared during the day. After the incident that took place at around 9 am on Saturday morning, the police had told that about half a dozen dumper trucks and some machines were buried under the debris.

Regarding the rescue operations, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij had earlier said that several rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and the Army, were pressed into service. Meanwhile, Haryana Congress president Kumari Selja on Sunday demanded a judicial inquiry, which is to be monitored by a sitting Supreme Court judge, “is required to expose the mining scam”.

In a statement, former Union Minister Shailaja alleged that illegal mining is going on in Dadam and deep excavation is going on at the site without permission. He said that the Congress party demands financial assistance of Rs.25 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed in the incident and Rs.10 lakh each for the injured.

Holding the BJP-JJP government responsible for the entire tragedy, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda on Saturday alleged that a “scam of thousands of crores” had taken place in the Dadam mining area.

“The Supreme Court has also made a serious comment on this matter and illegal mining is being done in this area by flouting all the rules but the government is not conducting a fair investigation. The opposition demands that there should be a judicial inquiry into the whole matter. Scam. ,” Hooda had said in a statement.

Senior Congress leader and MLA from Tosham Kiran Choudhary has demanded an independent inquiry alleging illegal mining in the area.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala had also alleged that illegal mining was going on under the Khattar regime and asked the BJP government who was responsible for these deaths.

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