A preliminary police investigation into the stone quarry collapse on the outskirts of Bengaluru that killed seven workers has alleged gross negligence by quarry owners, supervisors and machinery operators. According to the First Information Report (FIR), labourers were allegedly forced to work in hazardous conditions without essential safety equipment or proper risk assessments, despite the possibility of rockfalls. The incident occurred on Thursday morning at a quarry in Huluvanehalli village near Madapattana.

The complaint, lodged by a worker at Tavarekere Police Station, stated that the accident took place around 7.30 am while labourers were drilling holes using tractor compressors at a stone quarry owned by Kaveri Company. The FIR alleges that the workers were not provided with mandatory protective gear and that no safety inspection was conducted to determine whether the rock face was stable before work began. Investigators are examining whether established safety protocols were ignored.

According to the FIR, excavation was simultaneously being carried out at the neighbouring Basaveshwara Stone Quarry, allegedly causing instability in the adjoining rock face. Police have alleged that quarry operator Pandu and excavator driver Tirupathi continued excavation despite being aware that the activity could trigger a collapse. Shortly afterwards, massive boulders reportedly rolled onto the worksite, crushing four tractor compressors and trapping several labourers beneath the debris.

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The collapse claimed the lives of seven workers, identified as Ramu, Rajpal Singh, Satyanarayana Singh, Ramrathar Singh, Dharmesh Singh, Rajesh Prasad Chaudhary and Bhuvneshwar Singh Gond. Five others — Nehal Singh, Anand, Gulab Singh, Rajpal Singh and Chotu Lal — sustained injuries and were rushed to Rajarajeshwari Hospital for treatment. Fire and Emergency Services personnel, along with police teams, carried out rescue operations and recovered the bodies trapped under the boulders.

Based on the complaint, police have registered a case against quarry owners Uday Shankar and Anandaswamy, quarry operator Pandu, the site supervisor, excavator driver Tirupathi and other individuals connected to the operation. The FIR alleges that the accused acted negligently by allowing workers to continue operations in unsafe conditions without implementing mandatory safety precautions, directly contributing to the deaths and injuries.

Authorities have launched a detailed investigation to determine responsibility for the tragedy and whether labour and mining safety regulations were violated. Officials are expected to examine operational records, safety compliance measures and witness statements as part of the probe. The incident has once again highlighted concerns over workplace safety standards in quarrying operations and the need for stricter enforcement of occupational safety regulations.

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