Sivaganga: Five workers were killed and one severely injured in a rockslide at a licensed private stone quarry at Mallakottai near Singampunari in Sivaganga district on Tuesday.Police are yet to ascertain what caused the rockslide.According to them, six workers were working in a 450-foot-deep pit at ‘Mega Blue Metals’ stone quarry belonging to A Megavarnan on Tuesday morning. Workers nearby who witnessed the incident said several rock pieces slid down suddenly, trapping the six in the debris. They rushed to the spot and tried to pull them out. Soon, fire and rescue services and SS Kottai police arrived and managed to pull out three workers, P Ganesan, 49, M Andisamy, 50, and K Michael, 47, who were severely injured.All three were sent to hospital, but Ganesan and Andisamy died on the way.Two more bodies, those of M Muruganandham, 49, and M Arumugam, 53, were recovered subsequently. The body of 28-year-old Harshit from Odisha was not recovered at the time of going to the press. Michael was referred to a private hospital in Madurai and is under treatment in a critical condition.Cooperation minister K R Periyakaruppan, along with Sivaganga collector Asha Ajith, and other officials inspected the site of the accident and oversaw rescue. “Rescue personnel are unable to reach the body of one more worker as he is trapped in a deeper area. We are roping in trained professionals,” he said. A 30-member team of National Disaster Response Force stationed at Radhapuram reached the accident site later in the night and began recovery efforts.SS Kottai police registered a case against quarry owner Megavarnan and are investigating.Condoling the deaths, chief minister M K Stalin announced a compensation of Rs4 lakh each to the families of the deceased workers, and Rs1 lakh assistance to the injured worker from his public relief fund. The CM said he has directed to ensure best treatment for the worker undergoing treatment.Several political leaders have condemned the lack of regulations and safety for workers in stone quarries. PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss and AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran demanded a thorough probe and action against stone quarry owners and employees who flouted rules. Ramadoss sought compensation of Rs25 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Sivaganga superintendent of police Ashish Rawat, along with senior police officers, inspected the accident site.