Katni, In the village of Dhuri Bandhi—located within the jurisdiction of the Slimnabad police station in Katni district—Durgesh Kushwaha went for a swim with his companions in an old, defunct chalk mine. While bathing, he disappeared beneath the water. Due to the significant depth of the mine, no trace of him has been found so far, despite extensive search efforts.
An SDREF (State Disaster Response Force) team from Katni has been continuously engaged in rescue operations since yesterday. Divers have plunged into the mine numerous times, yet no results have emerged thus far.
The family members of the missing youth are in a state of utter distress, weeping inconsolably. The local administration is making every possible effort to ensure the search for the missing youth is brought to a successful conclusion.
It is pertinent to note that this tragedy is the result of gross negligence on the part of the mine operator. Furthermore, the Mining Department failed to install any wire fencing or boundary around the closed mine, nor did they erect any notice boards prohibiting entry into the site. Manoj Patel—the husband of the Sarpanch (village head) of Dhuri—confirmed this fact, acknowledging that the mine remains completely open, lacking both warning signs and protective fencing; this lack of security is cited as a primary contributing factor to the incident.
Meanwhile, rescue operations remain ongoing; as of now, no clue has been found regarding the whereabouts of the 26-year-old youth, Durgesh Kushwaha.