Mumbai:
Three labourers were crushed to death, while two others were critically injured in a landslide at a stone quarry in Turbhe in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday.
"The labourers, who load trucks, work at the bottom of the hill. The dealers work above and they decide what areas are to be drilled. The land came down while holes were being drilled and there was no one to warn the labourers below," Ramesh Patade, an eyewitness told NDTV.
Locals allege that the stone quarry was functioning illegally. They say while blasting of stone is not allowed in the monsoon, dynamite was being used at the site.
Suresh Bhosle, Senior Police Inspector of the Turbhe Police Station said, "We will investigate this and we will file an FIR in the case."
When asked about whether the quarry was functioning illegally, Inspector Bhosle said, "This information can only be got from the Collector's office. Without seeing the papers, we cannot say whether this is allowed during the monsoon or if permission was granted or not."