At least 18 people were killed and several labourers feared trapped in a suspected “illegal” coal mine at a village in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district after an explosion ripped through it on Thursday, police said.
The district police have recovered 18 bodies from the mine so far, who died after being trapped because of the blast, which occurred at Thangsko area of Mynsngat village, around 30 km from the district headquarters at Khliehriat, officials said.
The police of East Jaintia Hills district have registered a case in connection with the incident and an investigation is underway to identify those responsible for the alleged illegal mining activities. Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, expressed his sympathies to the families of those killed, and said the government has ordered an inquiry into the mishap. He also announced an ex-gratia of ₹3 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased mine worker.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced that an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund would be provided to the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured would be given ₹50,000.
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As villagers gathered near the site, women wailed and scenes of chaos surfaced while rescue teams rushed to take stock of the situation. Videos that surfaced online showed thick black smoke billowing out from what locals claimed were three mine shafts, shortly after the explosion.
Locals at Mynsyngat said they feared that more than 30-40 people were trapped inside the mine when the blast occurred in the remote area, where hundreds of illegal coal mines are in operation at present. The difficult terrain further hampered rescue efforts, and the setting sun further escalated safety concerns.
Several news reports and locals say most of those working inside the mines were daily wage labourers who had travelled from Assam and Nepal to earn basic wages for their families. Anti-mining activist Agnes Kharshiing blamed the government and district authorities for the deaths, calling it a “homicide”.
She said the accident was proof of the “state government’s attempts at hiding the reality of continuing illegal mining”. She has also been attacked by the coal mafias in the past for speaking up against illegal mining, leaving her with injuries that required long-term treatment.
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