Tragic Landslide Claims Lives of Three Miners in Keonjhar District

Landslide Incident in Keonjhar

Keonjhar: Authorities reported that three individuals lost their lives in a landslide caused by heavy rainfall while they were illegally mining manganese in Keonjhar district. The tragic event occurred at a manganese site near Bichakundi Dalpahar, falling under the jurisdiction of Joda police, on Tuesday.

Brijesh Kumar Rai, the Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Western Range, verified the incident, stating, “One body was retrieved around 2 am, and the other two were found early in the morning. All three bodies have been transported to Tata Hospital and are currently at the Tata Morgue House.”

According to police reports, a section of loose soil collapsed while the three individuals were engaged in illegal mining activities within the Baitarani Reserve Forest area. The victims were identified as Sandeep Purty, aged 32, Kande Munda, 19, and Guru Champia, 18, all hailing from Bichakundi in the Joda police station area. Their bodies were recovered following a six-hour rescue operation.