The body of a security guard was removed on Saturday from the debris at the accident site of the Cuddegal iron ore mine of the Fomento group in Sanguem taluk of south Goa, where a wall surrounding a tailing pond collapsed on Friday due to heavy rain.
Company officials insisted on Saturday that only three persons were trapped.
The name of the deceased is given as Ajit Mayank (29). Search is on for two more missing staff-members of the mining company.
The search operation, held through Saturday, would resume on Sunday, said police and Fire Brigade officials.
At a workshop on “Human Rights” held at the International Centre Goa presided by the former Chief Justice of India, J.S. Verma, social activist and Advocate Satish Sonak raised the issue of the Fomento mining disaster and also of the mounting human rights violations in Goa's mining sector, where illegal and irregular mining were rampant. The participants observed a one-minute silence for the deceased.
Mr. Sonak and other activists pointed out that those responsible for the attack on the revolutionary anti-mining activist Nilesh Gaonkar were yet to be booked.
Zarina Da Cunha, an environmental activist, while speaking on “Human rights and quality of life in rural areas,” drew attention to the high level of environmental pollution those living in rural areas in the villages situated in the mining belt of the State were subjected to.
Justice Verma expressed serious concern over the illegal mining and its impact across the country.
