A rockslide in a stone quarry left 2 workers dead and another seriously injured, in Guntur district, on Wednesday.
According to police, the victims were identified as Murugan and Channappa. Both of them hailed from Tamil Nadu.
The rockslide was triggered off by blasting close to the quarry to crack rocks. It is believed that the victims had no chance of avoiding the falling rock bits.
The victims were shifted to hospital by the police for treatment and autopsy, and a case registered.
The incident is eerily reminiscent of a similar incident in April, in which a similar rockslide had claimed the lives of 3 workers in a stone quarry in Kakinada. All the 3 were around 20 years of age and residents of Kondapalli village, Anur in Thondangi mandal in East Godavari district.
That rockslide was preceded by a quarrying accident which had crushed 12 workers of Hamsa Minerals and Exports Limited on February 25 in Chimakurti of Prakasam district.
Minister for Mines Balineni Srinivasa Reddy had, at that time, announced the formation of a high-powered committee with officials of mines, mine safety and labour, to inspect all mines for safety norms. He had said that mines not following safety norms would be shut down.
It remains to be seen what the government says after this latest tragedy.