Two Men Buried Alive During Sand Extraction in Kashmir

A late-night collapse of a sand heap in Baramulla district has left two men dead, prompting renewed concern over safety in the region's sand extraction work.

According to officials, the incident took place in Dachanpora, Rafiabad, on Tuesday. The two men were digging out sand when the heap caved in and buried them.

The bodies were still under the sand the next morning. Villagers struggled for hours to dig them out on Wednesday. After police were alerted, a team arrived at the location and assisted in recovering the bodies.

The deceased were named as Javed Ahmad Mir, aged 28, and Mohammad Anees Malik, aged 29. Officials said both were from Dachanpora. The village is now grieving the loss.

Police have taken note of the deaths and launched an inquiry into the circumstances. More details are awaited.

Sand mining is an important economic activity that feeds Jammu and Kashmir's construction industry. Yet it also brings challenges such as illegal extraction, environmental harm and serious safety hazards.

The Jammu and Kashmir Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules, 2016, regulate the mining of minor minerals. These include riverbed material (RBM) such as sand, silt, gravel and stone.

For mining to be lawful, operators must secure an approved mining plan, environmental clearance (EC) and consent to operate from the competent authorities.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has repeatedly penalised mining in riverbeds carried out without authorisation or in breach of rules.

Hand-based sand extraction from boats or riverbanks carries a significant risk of drowning and of sand heaps collapsing.

Earlier this month, a 17-year-old boy died in Singhpora, Pattan area of Baramulla, after suffering a serious head injury while extracting sand.