Sylhet stone quarry worker killed in landslide

A worker was killed in a landslide while extracting stone illegally at a quarry in Sylhet's Companiganj upazila this morning, police said.

The deceased was identified as Reaz Ahmed, 19, son of Rashid Ali of Puraton Noapur village of Chhatak upazila in Sunamganj, our local correspondent reports quoting police.

Tajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Companiganj Police Station, said the stone worker went down the pit and was extracting stone when a chunk of earth collapsed in Shah Arefin Tila area in Bholaganj, leaving him critically injured.

He was rescued by the workers nearby and was rushed to the local upazila health complex, where he was declared dead, the OC said adding that they were looking for the owner of the pit and a case will be filed in connection with the incident.

Bijen Banarjee, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Companiganj, said, “Extracting stone is prohibited in Shah Arefin Tila following a High Court order. But some stone traders are illegally continuing extraction violating the order”.

He also assured of further intensification of the ongoing raids at such quarries.