Two die during 'illegal' mining at riverbed in Rajasthan's Bhilwara

Jaipur, Nov 22 (PTI) Two labourers were killed on Saturday after a heap of bajri collapsed on them while they were illegally excavating it from the Kothari riverbed in Bhilwara district, police said.

Bajri is a variant of river sand, widely used for construction.

The incident occurred near the Kamdhenu Balaji temple, under the Sadar police station area, when a group of workers arrived with a tractor-trolley to collect bajri.

During excavation, a large mound of it caved in, burying two workers — Deepu Singh and Puran Bagariya — under the debris, officials said.

Police rushed to the spot after receiving information and, with the help of a JCB machine, retrieved the bodies after nearly half an hour of effort.

The bodies were kept at the MGH mortuary, where a post-mortem examination was conducted before handing them over to their families, police said.

SHO Kailash Kumar Vishnoi said the two had gone to the river early in the morning for illegal bajri mining when the mishap occurred.

"Their families have demanded compensation, and the administration is counselling them," he said.

Police said further investigation into the illegal mining activity is underway. PTI COR AG PRK PRK