Eight killed in landslide

By Shakeel M. Rasheed

VISAKHAPATNAM, SEPT. 15. Eight persons, including two women and two girls, were crushed to death on Friday morning when a hill slope caved in while they were mining for semi-precious stones in D. Kantavaram village in G. Madugula agency mandal.

Over a score of Girijan labourers have been indulging in illegal mining for these colour stones (`rangu-rallu') for the last three days near the slope of the Gunapalakonda hillock.

The Mandal Revenue Officer, who noticed the illegal mining on Thursday, stopped the activity after giving a severe warning to them.

But the villagers resumed the illegal activity at night. Because of heavy rain in the agency area, the hill-slope slid at around 8.30 a.m. on Friday trapping 12 of them. Four persons were injured. The rest fled the scene thereafter.

The following is the list of those killed: Boyina Parvatamma (10), Y. Konda Dora (15), Kuda China Balanna (30), Doru China Konda Baba (28), Doru Rajulamma (24), Ulli Ramana (50), Ulli Pothu Raju (20) and Salepu Chinatalli (30). The injured persons are Kondapalli Bojjana (30), Kondapalli Neelakantam (40), Kondapalli Bothayya (40) and Pottigi Sanyasiah (35).

Our Hyderabad Special Correspondent writes: Informing the Assembly about the tragedy, the Home Minister, Mr. T. Devender Goud, said the district officials had been asked to rush to the spot to supervise operations to rescue the three workers trapped in the landmass.

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Section  : Southern States
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