The story begins today with fear, pain, and a cloud of dust… in Obra, Sonbhadra—
where every morning, long before sunrise, workers climb down into the mines carrying nothing but the strength of their hands.
But on the evening of November 15… who knew that those very hands would be buried under a mountain of rubble?
Screams echoing through the air, the smell of dust and shattered stones… and the trembling voices of families crying—
“Please bring him out… is anyone listening?”
This was the moment when the heartbeat of the entire region stopped.
From Obra in Sonbhadra, the most painful and alarming news of the moment—
on the evening of 15 November 2025, a massive portion of the hill at the Billi–Markundi mining site suddenly collapsed…
and in a matter of seconds, an entire team of hardworking labourers was buried under rocks and dust.
According to the latest information, several workers along with a compressor operator are trapped beneath the debris.
One body has been recovered so far, while local estimates and early reports suggest that at least 15 to 20 labourers may still be trapped under the collapsed hill.
Dust on their faces, hope in their eyes, and fear in their hearts—
the wait for families is becoming heavier with every passing minute.
The incident occurred around 4 PM, when a section of the mine wall suddenly cracked and caved inward.
The debris is so massive, so heavy, that even the SDRF and NDRF teams are struggling every single moment.
Darkness, depth, unstable rocks— everything is making the rescue operation more difficult with each minute.
But heavier than these rocks… are the questions rising not just from the debris, but from the entire system.
Why was work happening in a section of the mine that had previously been declared “unsafe”?
Was there an order to keep the mine closed today?
If yes, then who sent the workers inside?
Where were the responsible officials at that time?
Who was supposed to ensure safety standards?
Do the lives of workers carry any value… or only the stones they extract?
This is not the first incident—
just a few months ago, a tipper driver died in the same area when a boulder fell on his head.
Back then too, authorities said— “Strict action will be taken.”
And yet today, the same place, the same danger, the same negligence… why?
Is the mining department active only on paper?
Has the state government’s ‘zero tolerance policy’ been reduced to press statements?
Does the system wake up only when a family’s kitchen fire goes out forever?
Today in Obra, it wasn’t just rocks that collapsed…
Responsibility collapsed.
Oversight collapsed.
And so did the last hopes of families who only want to see their loved ones one more time.
SDRF and NDRF continue their search, heavy machines are removing debris,
but as time passes, fear grows—
what condition will the trapped workers be found in?
