Two minors, youth die in river bank mud-slip

Mud-slip buried the three persons as they extracted stones near the wall

- SANKHA GHOSH

Three persons, including two minors, were crushed to death during alleged illegal sand mining on the Balason river banks at Tripali Jote under the Patharghata gram panchayat in Matigara block near Siliguri early this morning.

Police said that a mud-slip buried the three persons as they extracted stones near the wall of the river banks. The bodies have been sent to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem, police said.

Meanwhile, police arrested Shiva Sahani, a contractor, for his alleged involvement in sand mining, within a few hours of the incident.

Meanwhile, the administration has decided to provide Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia to the affected families. The Darjeeling District administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident, it is learnt.

“A resident of Sitamari in Bihar, Rohit Kumar, 16, who had been visiting his maternal grandfather’s house, two locals Samal Sahani, 16, and Monu Kumar, 20, died after chunks of mud fell on them. Another child, Akash Sahani, received minor injuries,” a source said.