Hindustan Copper Limited's Chief Vigilance Officer was killed, while 14 others were rescued after a lift collapsed at Neem Ka Thana's Kolihan mines in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu on Tuesday night. The State Disaster Response Force began carrying out the rescue operation on Wednesday.
Reports revealed that the officials and members of a vigilance team of PSU Hindustan Copper Limiter were trapped in the lift after the vertical shaft used for the transportation of personnel collapsed.
"One body has been taken out and a total of 14 people have been rescued safely...," an SDRF personnel told ANI. Neem Ka Thana Collector, Sharad Mehra said that all the 15 trapped people were taken out and the medical team was checking them. The injured were referred to Jaipur.
Three workers were also taken to Manipal Hospital in Jaipur.
"No one is critically injured... The ones who are being rescued are being brought here by ambulance continuously," said Puneet, a doctor at the hospital. "Majorly the injured workers have suffered fractures in feet, ankles," he added.
The incident took place on Tuesday night when the vigilance team along with senior officials of the public sector unit went inside the mine for an inspection. As they were about to come up a rope of the shaft or 'cage' broke trapping the officials inside the lift, said the police.
Following the incident, Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma said that the authorities have been instructed to speed up the relief and rescue operations.
In a post on X, the CM said: "Information was received about an accident caused by breakage of the lift rope in the Kolihan mine of Hindustan Copper Limited in Khetri, Jhunjhunu. The concerned officials have been instructed to immediately reach the spot and speed up the relief and rescue operations and provide all possible help and health facilities to the affected people..."