Six bodies recovered from collapsed Sonbhadra mine; owner arrested

A massive landslide in the Billi-Markundi mining zone of Sonbhadra district has led to major action by authorities, including the arrest of the mine owner, Madhusudan Singh.

The death toll from the accident has risen to six, while several workers are still feared trapped under the debris. Rescue operations by NDRF, SDRF, and police teams are ongoing.

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The accident occurred on Saturday evening in the Obra police station area. During drilling and blasting at a stone quarry, a large portion of a hill suddenly collapsed, trapping multiple workers beneath the rubble.

Emergency teams rushed to the site soon after the incident was reported.
Acting swiftly, the police arrested leaseholder Madhusudan Singh, who is known to be a close associate of Mirzapur–Sonbhadra MLC and strongman Shyam Narayan Singh alias Vineet Singh.

An FIR had been registered against Singh, along with Dileep Kesari and one unidentified person, following the accident.

The district administration released the list of deceased workers identified so far, which includes Raju Singh Gond (40), a resident of Parsoi Tola, Amherinia, Obra; Santosh Yadav (30) of Karamsar, Panari, Obra; Indrajit Yadav (32) of Karamsar, Panari, Obra; Ravindra alias Nanak (18) of Kachanra, Kon; Ramkhelawan (32) of Khadar, Panari, and Kripashankar of Khadar, Panari.

UP Stamps Minister Ravindra Jaiswal visited the accident site to assess the situation. He announced that a three-tier committee would investigate the incident and assured strict action against all those responsible, regardless of their influence.

He also said the affidavit submitted earlier to the NGT by the district magistrate would be examined.

The families of the deceased will receive Rs 20 lakh compensation each.
The mine, located about 400 feet deep in the Rashpahari hills and allotted to M/s Krishna Mining Company, had multiple workers operating nine compressors at the time of the accident. Some workers managed to escape, while others were buried under falling rocks.

Rescue teams have been clearing debris since Saturday night, but reaching the exact collapse site remains challenging due to difficult terrain and obstruction by large boulders.

Dog squads have also been deployed to assist in locating trapped workers. JCB machines are clearing rock layers to create a stable path for heavy rescue equipment.

Several ambulances are stationed at the site, and police personnel have been positioned across the mining zone. Rescue efforts are expected to continue until all trapped workers are accounted for.