Raipur (Chhattisgarh): A tragic accident occurred at the Gevra mine of South Eastern Coal Fields Limited (SECL) in Korba district, Chhattisgarh, resulting in the death of an engineer. A vehicle returning from a blasting site unexpectedly slipped off the road and overturned, leading to the engineer's death at the scene. Three other individuals in the vehicle sustained injuries and were hospitalized.
The vehicle involved in the accident belonged to Krishna Accessories and Explosive Company, a contractor working with SECL for the supply of explosives. The deceased engineer has been identified as Gorelal Patel (52), a resident of Raliya and an employee of the contractor company. The SHO of Dipka Police Station confirmed details of the incident.
The Gevra project, a major operation under SECL, has seen multiple accidents recently. Within 24 hours prior to this incident, a contract worker was killed in a separate accident involving a gunpowder van, and five others were injured.
Additionally, just hours before this mishap, another vehicle crashed in the Gevra coal mines. A dumper carrying 240 tons of cargo slipped off an elevated road due to darkness and narrow conditions, plunging 80 feet. Coal workers alerted the management and rescue team, who managed to extract the trapped driver, who suffered internal injuries and was sent to NCH Hospital for treatment.
.png)
In light of the series of accidents at the Gevra project, a team from the Directorate of Mines Safety has arrived in Korba to investigate the circumstances surrounding these incidents. They aim to understand why such accidents are occurring at this mega project.
Local journalist Manoj reported that heavy rains have impacted coal production, leading management to increase pressure on workers to meet production targets, potentially compromising safety measures in the process.
Meanwhile, SECL Public Relations Officer Sanish Chandra stated that the deceased engineer is not an employee of SECL. He confirmed that a departmental inquiry will be conducted to address the issues surrounding the accidents.
