Three people were feared killed while seven others were rescued in a major mining accident in Goa’s Sanvordem town, officials said on Saturday. The 10 people got trapped under debris when an unstable tailing stack — a huge heap of aluminium and silica impurities extracted along with iron ore – gave way due to heavy monsoon showers.
“The incident occurred at around 8.30pm (Friday). We managed to rescue seven people. But three others, including a minerals engineer, have been feared killed in the sludge,” deputy collector Agnelo Fernandes.
Police and fire department officials were at the site, around 50 km from Panaji, but rescue operations were marred due to incessant rains. “We are trying to locate the bodies of the three people. But the rains and the mining sludge are making things difficult,” a fire department official said.