Iron structure collapses in cement plant in Odisha; some workers feared trapped

People gather outside the cement factory after an incident of hopper collapse, at Rajgangpur, in Sundargarh district, Odisha, on January 16, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

“Some workers were suspected to have been trapped under the debris after a coal hopper, a big iron structure, collapsed inside a cement factory at Rajgangpur in Odisha’s Sundargarh district on Thursday (January 16, 2025,)“ police said.

“The incident occurred at the factory when more than a dozen labourers were working near the site,” a senior officer said. After getting information, local police rushed to the spot and helped remove the debris.

“The coal hopper suddenly fell down. We are at the spot now. The debris is being removed with the help of cranes. So far no casualty or injury has been reported. But, we suspect that some workers might have been trapped inside the debris as labourers usually work under the structure,” Rajgangpur Police Station inspector-in-charge Manaranjan Pradhan told PTI.

Soon after the incident, workers and family members of those who were working at the site gathered outside the plant. The family members of some workers alleged that the labourers were not responding to their calls. However, neither the company nor the police were sure how many workers were trapped under the debris.