Konni: The body of the second worker trapped in the rockfall accident at the Chengulam quarry in Payyanaman, Konni, was recovered on Tuesday night. The deceased, identified as Ajay Kumar Rai, a native of Jharkhand, was found inside the cabin of the earthmoving machine he had been operating.

The body of the first victim, Mahadev Pradhan, a native of Odisha, had been recovered on Monday, shortly after the incident.

The rescue operation, initially halted due to the risk of further rockfalls, was resumed on Tuesday evening. Ajay Rai's body was located using a long-boom excavator. Members of the Special Task Force descended with ropes to reach the excavator cabin and retrieve the body.

The accident occurred while workers were removing debris following rock blasting at the site. They were operating on the second level of the four-tiered quarry when a massive rock dislodged from the third level and crashed down onto the excavator. Rai was inside the cabin, operating the machine, while Mahadev, serving as a helper, was on the ground.

Due to the continuous rockfall, rescue personnel were unable to immediately reach the trapped excavator. The operation was extremely challenging, taking three hours to recover even one body. Mahadev’s remains were found crushed beneath a large boulder on the first level of the quarry.

Emergency services, including the fire and rescue department, responded quickly but were initially unable to access the accident site due to unstable terrain.

The quarry is reportedly owned by Mathaikunju and his son Tom, residents of Chengulam House, Payyanaman.