At least 16 people were killed in an explosion at a suspected illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday. The blast occurred at a rat-hole coal mine in the Thangskai area, leaving one person seriously injured with burn wounds, police said.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Kumar confirmed that 16 bodies have been recovered so far.
According to the police, several labourers were trapped inside the mine after the explosion. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with the police and local administration, launched search and rescue operations immediately after the incident.
Authorities said that several people are still feared trapped inside the mine, and rescue efforts are ongoing.
The officer said rescue teams are carrying out search operations at the site, adding that the explosion occurred in the Thangsku area during coal mining activities earlier in the morning. The mining operation is suspected to be illegal.
East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said that the injured person was first taken to the Sutnga Primary Health Centre and later referred to a hospital in Shillong for advanced medical care.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had banned rat-hole coal mining and other unscientific mining practices in Meghalaya in 2014, citing serious environmental damage and safety concerns. The tribunal also imposed restrictions on the illegal transportation of coal extracted through such methods.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
