Overview

• Pathanamthitta district authorities ordered a temporary suspension of quarry operations at Payyanamon pending a departmental probe.
• A department-level inquiry will examine claims that the quarry’s licence expired on June 30 and review blasting practices and safety compliance.
• Rescue teams from the NDRF and Fire and Rescue Services recovered the bodies of migrant workers Mahadev Pradhan and Ajay Kumar Rai after two days of efforts beset by fresh rockfalls and adverse weather.
• Heavy machinery, including a 24-meter boom Hitachi crane and iron ropes, was deployed to clear debris and extract the buried excavator.
• The tragedy has intensified scrutiny of regulatory oversight and worker safety in Kerala’s hillside quarry sector.