Bhubaneswar: The bodies of six Odia migrant workers who lost their lives in a granite quarry accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Bapatla district were brought back to their native villages in Ganjam and Gajapati districts Monday.
The incident took place Sunday when a giant rock collapsed in a granite quarry, killing six workers from Odisha and injuring eight others, an officer said.
The deceased were identified as Danda Badathya (48), Musa Jena (43), Banamali Behera (30), Santosh Gouda (36) of Ganjam district and Bhaskar Bisoi (40) and Tukuma Dalai (37) of Mohana block in Gajapati district.
Two ministers — Bibhuti Bhusan Jena and Gokulananda Mallik — paid their last respects to the deceased workers and met their family members at Digapahandi hospital in Ganjam district.
“Soon after getting information about the incident, I talked to Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and the district collector. We sent a team to bring back the bodies of the deceased labourers,” Jena said.
Mallik said the CM has announced Rs 4 lakh compensation to the families of the deceased workers.
From Digapahandi hospital, the bodies of the workers were sent to their native villages, where the last rites were performed.
Banamali’s father Bhagaban Behera said his son went to Andhra Pradesh around a month ago.
“We came to know about his death when one of his co-workers called me around noon. He was the only bread-winner of the family” Bhagaban said.
A relative of Bhaskar Bisoi in Mohana said both Bhaskar and Tukuma had recently left for Andhra Pradesh in search of work.
“We are shocked… we never imagined they would never return,” he added.
Out of the eight injured, seven are from Ganjam district and another from Gajapati, said Pritish Panda, officer on special duty (OSD), Directorate of Odisha Parivaar.
PTI