Worker dies in accident at illegal stone quarry
A teenage quarry worker died in the line of duty as a chunk of stone came crashing down on him at an illegal quarry in Shah Arefin Tila area of Sylhet’s Companiganj upazila on Thursday.
The deceased, Tanvir Hossain, 17, was from Mirzapur village in Sunamganj’s Derai upazila, said Suman Acharjee, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Companiganj.
The incident took place around noon when Tanvir was working down a pit without any safety gears. Suddenly, a big chunk of stone broke off from one edge and smashed down on the ground, he said.
A critically injured Tanvir was taken to a local quack who declared him dead, the UNO said.
Without informing anyone, the employers then sent the body to Tanvir’s village home in Sunamganj where his family members were preparing for a funeral.
Being informed, police retrieved the body and sent it to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital for an autopsy, said Sajal Kumar Kanu, officer-in-charge of Companiganj Police Station, adding that the body was later handed over to his family.
Police arrested manager of the quarry Abdul Hannan in connection with the death, OC Kanu said.
Police filed a case accusing six named people, including the manager, and four unnamed people in connection with the incident, he added.
The five others are Sohrab Mia, Toyob Mia, Anju Mia, Akbar Mia and Abdur Mia.
All of them are owners of the company that has long been extracting stone illegally from the government-owned land, UNO Suman said.
“We are conducting regular drives at the stone pits to stop all illegal extraction in the upazila”, he added.
Earlier on January 20, another stone worker Liton Miah, 22, died at an illegal stone pit in the same area.
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