Naxals allegedly set on fire a conveyor belt of National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district in the wee hours on Wednesday, police said.
A large number of ultras stormed the NMDC’s Bacheli iron ore mines at around 2.30 AM and set on fire its over 80 metres of conveyor belt, bringing a halt to the mining operations, they said.
“Soon after getting the news of the incident, several fire tenders and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were pressed into service to douse the blaze and very soon everything was under control,” Dantewada Superintendent of Police Narendra Khare said.
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“The loss caused due to the fire is yet to be ascertained,” he said, adding that security personnel have launched a search to nab the attackers.
According to a NMDC official, the damage to the belt would affect the transportation of iron ore from the region for a couple of days, resulting in losses worth several crores to the public sector undertaking.