COIMBATORE: Two workers died in a blast in an unlicensed stone quarry in Erode on Tuesday. Police identified the deceased as Senthil Kumar (50) from Nambiyur in Gobichettipalayam and Ajith (27) from Karnataka. They were caught unaware in a blast to break boulders in the quarry near Gobichettipalayam around 6.30 pm.

On receiving information, the Bangalapudur police rushed to the spot and sent the bodies of the deceased for a post mortem. Following a search, the police nabbed quarry owners Loganathan (70) and his wife Eswari (65) from Dasanaickenpalayam in Perundurai in Erode on Wednesday.

Inquiries revealed that the couple had license to operate the quarry only till 2015. “They were running the quarry illegally for the last nine years. Even though the authorities sealed the quarry for running illegally on complaints from the public, the couple continued with their operations,” police said.