Man drowns in water-filled stone quarry pit in Udupi, case filed for alleged negligence

Udupi: A man from Tamil Nadu drowned in a water-filled stone quarry at Yedthadi village near Brahmavar on Thursday, with police registering a case against quarry operators for alleged negligence.

According to the complaint filed by Thangavelu (43), a native of Palani in Tamil Nadu, he had been working as a stone breaker at a quarry operated by Basheer and Sharath Shetty at Garkimath in Yedthadi.

He was residing in a workers’ room near the quarry along with his son Manikanta and his nephew Arun, who had arrived from their native place four days ago.

On March 19, Arun reportedly entered a nearby quarry pit filled with rainwater for a bath. He accidentally slipped into the deep water and drowned.

The complaint stated that stone extraction activities had created a large pit at the site, where rainwater had accumulated to a depth of nearly 20 feet. It further alleged that no safety measures such as fencing or warning sign boards had been installed around the water-filled pit.

The complainant said that the tragedy could have been prevented had the quarry operators taken adequate safety precautions, especially as workers were engaged in activities nearby.

Based on the complaint, the Brahmavar police have registered a case under Section 106(1) read with Section 34 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the quarry operators and others for alleged negligence.