A tragic accident occurred on May 20, 2025, at a stone quarry in Mallakottai, Singampunari, within Tamil Nadu’s Sivagangai district, where five workers were killed in a rockslide. The workers, who were 450 feet inside the quarry, were struck by falling rocks triggered by a powerful blast, resulting in their immediate deaths. Two other workers sustained injuries and were promptly taken to Madurai for medical treatment. The deceased were identified as Muruganandham, Arumugam, Ganesan, Andisamy, and Harshit, an Odisha native.

Tamil Nadu Minister KR Periyakarupan of the DMK, along with district officials, visited the site to supervise the rescue efforts. Chief Minister MK Stalin announced financial aid, providing Rs 4 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 1 lakh for the injured worker, Michael, who is under treatment.

This incident echoes a similar tragedy in May of the previous year at a stone quarry in Virudhunagar’s Kariapatti area, where an explosion in a storage room containing explosives claimed several lives, as captured on CCTV. Local communities have repeatedly voiced concerns about safety violations at the quarry, including frequent accidents involving overloaded trucks. The quarry had been temporarily shut down prior to that explosion, and following the latest incident, residents are now demanding its permanent closure.