Senior Vigilance Officer Dies After Lift Collapses In Rajasthan Mine

A senior vigilance officer at Hindustan Copper Limited died after a lift collapsed at the Kolihan mine in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district late last night. The lift collapse at the copper mine had trapped 15 persons, including the vigilance team. Other 14 officials who were trapped have been rescued.

Upendra Pandey, Chief Vigilance Officer at Hindustan Copper Limited, was part of a vigilance team from Kolkata inspecting the mine when the lift crashed at around 577 metres. Pandey's body has been taken out of the mine. 

The officials who were trapped included Khetri Copper Complex unit head GD Gupta and Kolihan mine's Deputy General Manager AK Sharma. A journalist who had entered the mine as a photographer with the vigilance team was also trapped.

Three officials who were the first to be rescued were sent to SMS hospital in Jaipur with fractures and other injuries, a doctor part of the medical team had earlier said. Five more were taken out in the second round, and the rest after that, concluding a hectic overnight operation.

Earlier, an eight-member team comprising doctors and nurses was sent inside the mine through the exit gate to provide medical help to those trapped.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma had taken cognizance of the incident and asked officials to speed up the rescue efforts.

"Information was received about the accident caused by the 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," he said.

The copper mine at Khetri was established in 1967.