Hnahthial, Mizoram stone quarry: Two more bodies were recovered on Tuesday night from the stone quarry that collapsed in South Mizoram’s Hnahthial district, news agency PTI reported. With this, the death toll in the accident has increased to 10.

On Monday, 12 people were feared trapped after a stone quarry owned by ABCI Infrastructures Pvt Ltd, a construction company, caved in at Maudarh village, about 23 km from Hnahthial town. The incident took place at around 3 pm when the workers were working at the site, the district administration said.

The two missing persons hail from Mizoram and Assam, he said, adding that five earth excavators, a stone crusher and a drilling machine were also completely buried under the debris.

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The DC said that the search operations will continue until all bodies are found.

Among the deceased, five are from West Bengal, two each from Jharkhand and neighbouring Assam and one from Mizoram’s Lunglei district, the official said.

Hnahthial Superintendent of Police (SP) Vineet Kumar had said 13 people were working when a massive landslide occurred at the stone quarry and one person managed to escape. According to eyewitnesses, the workers had dug too deep and had upset the stability of the stone quarry, resulting in the collapse, as per PTI.

Condoling the deaths, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs lakh from the PMNRF to the next of the kin of the deceased, and rs 50,000 for the injured, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet on Wednesday.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also condoled the deaths.

“Deeply anguished by the stone quarry collapse in Mizoram that has resulted in the death of 12 workers, including 5 from WB. We are in touch with the Govt of Mizoram to bring back the bodies and have assured the families of support. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones,” Banerjee said in a tweet.

ABCI Infrastructures Pvt Ltd, which employed the workers, has been executing the widening of a section of the national highway between Hnahthial town and Dawn village.