Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 6 (HBTV): At least 18 miners were killed and one person was critically injured after an explosion at an illegally operated coal mine in Meghalaya on Thursday, police said.
Rescue operations were underway in the East Jaintia Hills district, with authorities stating that more workers were feared trapped underground. The blast occurred around 11:00 am local time.
Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said the accident was linked to rat-hole mining, a hazardous method involving the use of dynamite to create narrow tunnels through which workers crouch to extract coal. He added that the explosion inside the mine was suspected to have been caused by dynamite.
Rat-hole mining has continued in the state despite a blanket ban, activists said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex gratia assistance of INR 200,000 for the families of the deceased and INR 50,000 for the injured.
Police said the mine was located in a forested area about 72 km from the state capital Shillong. Kumar confirmed that 18 bodies had been recovered so far, while one person with severe burn injuries was admitted to a hospital in Shillong. He said it was not yet clear how many more workers might be trapped underground.
Authorities are yet to identify the owners and operators of the mine, and a case has been registered against unidentified persons. The identities of the victims are also yet to be ascertained.
‘Accountability will be fixed, and those responsible will face strict legal action,’ Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said in a statement.
Local residents told reporters that most of the deceased were believed to be from neighbouring Assam. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, ‘If this is established, we will extend all possible assistance and support to the affected families from Assam.’
The blast is among the deadliest mining accidents in Meghalaya in recent years. In 2018, at least 15 miners were trapped after water from a nearby river flooded a rat-hole mine, with rescue operations continuing for months. While five miners managed to escape, two bodies were later recovered and the remaining workers were presumed dead.
Agnes Kharshiing, a Meghalaya-based activist campaigning against illegal mining, said rat-hole mining involves digging tunnels about four to five feet high, forcing workers to squat while working, making it extremely risky.
Activists said illegal coal mining has continued in parts of Meghalaya despite a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal in 2014, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court. A monitoring committee appointed by a high court has repeatedly flagged enforcement failures in recent years.
Fatal accidents linked to illegal coal mining have been reported in several Indian states, including Gujarat, Jharkhand, Assam and West Bengal, with officials and activists citing high demand for coal, poverty in mining regions, weak enforcement in remote areas and alleged political patronage as key factors allowing unsafe and unregulated mining to persist.
(BBC)