A portion of a road caved in near Handidhua village in Talcher area of Odisha’s Angul district on Thursday has caused panic among local residents. A massive crater, around 20 feet deep, formed abruptly on the road in full public view, raising serious safety concerns in the coal mining belt. The incident occurred near a colliery field, where the road caved in and turned into a large pit measuring approximately 15 feet in width and 20 feet in depth. Villagers were left alarmed by the sudden collapse, fearing further subsidence in the area.Administration Barricades SiteFollowing the formation of the crater on Wednesday, the district administration moved in and barricaded the affected stretch of road on Thursday to prevent accidents. The area has been cordoned off as a precautionary measure, restricting movement near the collapse site.The sudden cave-in has disrupted local movement and heightened anxiety among residents, particularly those living close to the affected road.Mining Activity Suspected as CauseAccording to local residents, underground coal mining operations were previously carried out in the area. They said that after coal extraction, proper sand filling is required to stabilise the underground cavities. However, villagers suspect that inadequate sand filling may have led to the collapse of the road. This has fuelled concerns over the safety of infrastructure in mining zones.While fear continues to grip the locality, no official response or clarification has been issued by the administration so far regarding the cause of the incident or future preventive measures.
