Stone Mine Collapses in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra; One Dead, Around 15 Feared Trapped

A stone mine collapsed in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district on Saturday, leaving at least one person dead and around 15 feared trapped, according to news agency ANI. Rescue operations are underway, with the body of the deceased already recovered.

The incident occurred in the Billi Markundi mining area under the Obra police station limits. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), two private companies, and the Obra Thermal Power Project joined the relief efforts.

District Magistrate Badrinath Singh reached the spot and said additional machinery was being brought in to speed up the rescue. He confirmed that an inquiry will be launched to determine the cause of the collapse.

A worker, Chhotu Yadav, said that his two brothers — Santosh Yadav and Indrajit Yadav — were among those trapped beneath the debris. Another worker claimed that nine compressors were operating at the site, with one person deployed at each machine when the mine caved in.

A Uttar Pradesh minister said about a dozen people were working at the mine when it collapsed, and assured that strict action will be taken against those responsible.

Senior officials, including Obra SDM Vivek Kumar Singh, Circle Officer Harsh Pandey, and station in-charges Vijay Chaurasia and Kumud Shekhar Singh, also visited the site to oversee operations.