Boulder collapse near Bengaluru: Uneaten meals remain where a normal day’s work at a quarry turned fatal

Half-eaten home-packed meals lay strewn next to unopened plastic water bottles, while two earthmoving machines and six stationary drilling machines were among the first signs that work had come to an abrupt halt at a quarry in Hulukenahalli village in Tavarekere Hobli on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Thursday (July 2, 2026).

Just hours earlier, what began as a routine workday ended in tragedy when a huge boulder struck a tractor that was loading crushed rock from a distance of about 40 feet, killing at least seven workers and injuring five others.

A bird’s eye view of a stone quarry in Madapattana village in South Bengaluru district on July 02, 2026. | Photo credit: MURALI KUMAR K

The quarry, one of several crushing units located in this strip of suburban Bengaluru, is usually filled with the sound of drilling, crushing and tearing that can be heard for miles. Thursday afternoon was unusually quiet. Police cordoned off the area while groups of workers stood on a nearby hill and watched officials approach and leave the site. Although they were repeatedly asked to leave, many of them stayed back.

Most of the workers employed in the quarry are migrant workers from Yadgir and Raichur in Karnataka and from Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

According to the workers, about 20 workers came to work in two neighboring quarries in the morning. “While several people were eating in the hour before work began, several people had already started loading stones when a huge boulder came loose from one side of the quarry, rolled down to another part and crashed down the slope onto the workers below,” they described.

Most of the workers employed in the quarry are migrant workers from Yadgir and Raichur in Karnataka and from Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. | Photo credit: MURALI KUMAR K

The site where seven workers were killed after a massive granite rock collapsed at a quarry in Madapattana village in Bengaluru South district on July 2, 2026. | Photo credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Staff claimed none of the people at the site were provided with basic protective equipment such as helmets or gloves. “Every evening there is blasting. After that we gather to load stones and sand. Nobody has helmet, gloves or other safety equipment,” said Laxminarayan, one of the workers.

Laxminarayan added that the quarry owner, Udayshankar, had ordered workers not to work there, he said, pointing to the buffer zone because it was dangerous.

“But our contractor, Ravi, asked us to work there because it was easier and faster to work in the buffer zone. Rocks were more available there (in the buffer zone) and more material could be loaded in less time instead of digging elsewhere,” he said.

Police cordoned off the area while groups of workers stood on a nearby hill and watched officials approach and leave the site. | Photo credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Local villagers explain the landscape of the stone quarry terrain in Madapattana village, where seven workers were killed on July 2, 2026, after a massive granite boulder collapsed. Photo credit: MURALI KUMAR K

The approach to the quarry was a long way up the slope and on a rough dirt road carved into the hillside. Every vehicle that went up left behind a thick trail of dust that reduced visibility. The same route used by the workers throughout the day remained untouched until the officials were told that the Chief Minister was expected. Soon after, a water tanker climbed the hill and sprayed the entire section to settle the dust. However, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar did not turn up at the venue.

The workers said they lived nearly 10 km away from the quarry and rushed back after hearing about the accident. Many remained on the hill throughout the day and said they would have even protested if no action had been taken this time.

“We have lodged several complaints over the years but no one has even bothered to visit,” lamented the workers.

boulder collapse at Bengaluru Quarry

At least seven workers were killed and five others injured after a massive boulder fell on some vehicles, including a tractor that was loading crushed stone, at a quarry in Madapattana village on the outskirts of Bengaluru on July 2, 2026. Video Credit: The Hindu

Published – 03 Jul 2026 01:27 IST