A major land subsidence occurred in Sabri Basti under Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), causing one house to collapse completely and leaving more than a dozen others damaged with cracks in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand.
The incident took place around 3 a.m. on Saturday when the asbestos-roofed house of Arun Rajak caved in. Although no casualties were reported, panic spread as residents rushed out of their homes carrying essential belongings. Some families still lost food grains, clothes, and other household items in the collapse.
Rajak said his family was asleep when a loud sound jolted them awake, followed by the sudden cave-in.
In another case, a cow belonging to local resident Govind Bhuiyan was trapped in the subsidence but was safely rescued by villagers.
One resident, Kalyani Devi, said her thatched house also collapsed after a thunderous noise. “Everything we had—rice, pulses, clothes—sank into the ground. We have nothing left to eat or wear,” she said.
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Locals alleged negligence on the part of both BCCL and the administration. “Despite repeated complaints, no action was taken,” said one resident.
Officials of Modidih Colliery said the affected families have been shifted temporarily to Modidih Community Hall and assured that rehabilitation will be arranged at Tetulmari.
Local MLA Shatrughan Mahto visited the site and directed BCCL officials to ensure rehabilitation and compensation for victims.
Residents recalled they were relocated to Sabri Basti in 1976–77 after a fire destroyed their earlier settlement. A similar incident of subsidence was reported in 2006, when pits were ordered to be filled.
Despite the risks, villagers claimed officials failed to act until MLA Mahto, brother of Dhanbad MP Dhullu Mahto, intervened on Saturday.
Many affected families, however, have refused to move to BCCL quarters in Tetulmari, demanding resettlement in Angarpathra, which they consider safer.
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