A massive landslide struck a stone mining site in the Billi area of Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district on Saturday, causing a large portion of a hill to collapse into the quarry below. The sudden cave-in sent huge amounts of debris crashing down on labourers working at the site, and several workers are feared trapped beneath the rubble.
Early reports suggest that multiple labourers, including a compressor operator, may be buried under the collapsed rock. Within minutes of the incident, local authorities, including the SDM and police teams, reached the spot and began initial rescue efforts. An SDRF team from Mirzapur was also rushed to assist with specialised search operations in the unstable terrain.
UP Minister of State Sanjiv Singh Gaur, who arrived at the site soon after, described the event as deeply painful. He said the tragedy occurred due to clear negligence and must be thoroughly investigated. According to him, all quarrying activity had reportedly been suspended for three days, and both the district administration and crusher association had informed operators that mining was to remain closed on November 15. He questioned how work continued despite the shutdown order and emphasised that determining responsibility was now a key priority.
The minister said initial verbal accounts indicate that around 12 labourers were working at the time of the collapse, though the exact number will only become clear when the debris is fully removed. He added that the accident occurred around 3 pm, but substantial rescue work had yet to begin even hours later, raising further concerns about administrative failures. He explained that he learned of the incident at around 5 pm while attending a Birsa Munda Jayanti event and rushed to the site along with party workers and officials.
Gaur expressed distress that similar mining-related accidents have taken place earlier in the region and stressed that strict action would follow against anyone found responsible, whether mine owners or officials. He also demanded clarity from the Mining Department on which quarries had been officially shut and which had permission to operate, saying contradictory claims were emerging from the ground.
Rescue efforts are expected to intensify through the night as teams work to clear the debris and locate the trapped workers. More updates are awaited as the situation develops.
