Quarry officials announce Rs 12 L for the relatives of the victims

MADURAI: The management of Kariapatti quarry in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district will pay compensation of Rs 12 lakh each to the family members of three persons who died in an explosion at the quarry’s storeroom on Wednesday.

The explosion resulted in thick clouds of smoke engulfing the quarry and residents in the vicinity of the quarry also felt the vibrations of the blast. According to the district officials, the quarry management has announced that it will hand over Rs 50,000 in cash to the families of each of the deceased along with a check of Rs 11,50,000.

Villagers seek permanent closure of quarry

Meanwhile, several villagers from D Kadambankulam, where a deadly explosion took place in the private quarry, went to the Collectorate on Thursday. They urged the government to close the quarry immediately.

On behalf of the villagers, V. Balamurugan filed a petition with the district administration stating that the local community had suffered some material damage due to the explosion. He urged authorities to inspect the structural damage and ensure adequate compensation.

“The quarry crusher plant at D Kadambankulam village has been operational for almost a decade and despite a series of protests against permanent closure by the villagers earlier, no action has been taken,” he said. Kariapatti Tahsildar Mareeswaran said a team comprising two revenue inspectors and VAOs were inspecting to check whether any damage was caused by the explosion and they would submit a report soon.

While Aviyoor police arrested R Sethu, the quarry owner, another accused Rajkumar was arrested on Thursday.