Two workers have been killed and 17 others were buried in a landslide at Parharpur in Bihar State, India. The 17 buried workers were dug out by local villagers, and none are thought to have serious injuries. Northern India has suffered a series of often lethal landslides in recent weeks due to an exceptionally severe monsoon. However in this case local authorities are blaming the event entirely on carelessness by the quarry owners. The Parharpur quarry is legal, and produces high-quality sandstones used in the building industry from a series of large pits dug into the flat alluvial plains of the area. However safety concerns have been raised about the site before, particularly a level of silicosis ('miners-lung'; a build up of quartz particles in the lungs which can eventually prove fatal), considered unacceptably high by NGOs.
The approximate location of the Parharpur quarry. Google Maps.
See also Six people killed by landslide in Nainital District, Uttarakhand, Seven killed by landslide in Uttarakhand, Man killed in Kerala Landslide, Three workers killed in landslide at Mumbai quarry and Human Rights Watch reports on mining in India.
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