Multiple casualties were reported after a rock collapse at a stone crusher quarry in South Bengaluru on Thursday, with at least seven workers feared dead as rescue teams searched for others suspected to be buried beneath the rubble, officials said. Authorities said official confirmation of the casualties was still awaited.Preliminary information indicated that mining activity was underway in the upper section of the quarry. (iStock representative photo)According to initial information, the incident occurred around 6:30am at the Kaveri Company crusher quarry near Madapatna village in Bengaluru South taluk.Police said workers had begun their routine shift when a large section of rock detached from the upper portion of the quarry and crashed onto those working below.Preliminary information indicated that mining activity was underway in the upper section of the quarry using an excavator when the rock gave way. The falling boulder buried labourers engaged in quarry operations beneath it.Parashuram, an excavator operator, said he had just started his machine after arriving at the worksite when he noticed the hillside give way.“It took only a few seconds before one side of the hill collapsed. I can’t say for certain, but around 14 people were working below it. Four people trapped under the rubble were taken to the hospital, while the others remain buried. There was nothing they could have done because the collapse happened before the workers had any chance to react,” he told the media.Also Read: Woman, two children found dead in Pune’s TathawadePolice and rescue personnel reached the site shortly after the collapse and launched search operations.“Police reached the quarry soon after the collapse and began rescue operations alongside an investigation into the incident. Further details were still being gathered. We suspect 7 people are dead,” a senior officer familiar with the developments said.Rescue teams continued removing debris amid concerns that several more labourers remained trapped beneath the rocks. Preliminary information suggested at least seven others could still be buried, with some believed to have sustained serious injuries.Police inspected the site as rescue efforts continued. Officials had not yet issued a formal statement confirming the number of casualties or the circumstances surrounding the collapse.