A major explosion occurred at a stone quarry under the Motanga police station limits in Dhenkanal district, Odisha, on Saturday night, raising concerns over potential casualties and alleged illegal mining activities.
The blast reportedly took place at an illegal quarry near Gopalpur, though authorities had no confirmed information on deaths or injuries at the time of reporting. The incident came to light late on Saturday, prompting the local administration and police to rush to the site and secure the area.
Odapada Tehsildar and personnel from Motanga police station reached the quarry immediately to conduct a preliminary investigation. The area was cordoned off, with police deployed to restrict public access and ensure safety.
Senior officials, including the Tehsildar, the Motanga police inspector-in-charge, and other senior police personnel, remained at the site overnight to assess the situation. Efforts were underway to determine whether any workers were injured or trapped, but no official casualty figures had been reported.
Preliminary assessments revealed that the quarry did not have valid blasting permission. The Dhenkanal district mining office had issued a closure notice to the leaseholder on September 8, 2025, due to the absence of blasting approval. Despite this, blasting activities reportedly continued in violation of regulations. The district mining officer and the leaseholder were unavailable for comment.
Reports suggested that a portion of soil caved in inside the quarry following the explosion. Since no injured persons or bodies were reported at medical facilities in Dhenkanal or Angul, there were fears that workers present at the site during the blast could be trapped under debris.
Officials noted that locating workers was challenging as the incident occurred at night. Rescue operations are expected to begin on Sunday as part of ongoing assessment and response measures.
Questions were also raised locally about the continuation of quarry operations despite the lease reportedly having expired, though no official confirmation on this aspect was available.