One person was injured and several workers feared trapped after an explosion at a suspected illegal coal mine in a village in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday, police said.
The incident took place in Thangsku area, Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar added.The incident took place in Thangsku area, Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar added.
“Our team confirmed that the incident took place this morning, but could not confirm how many people were inside,” Kumar told PTI.
Kumar said one person was injured and was first taken to the primary health center and referred to the state capital Shillong for better treatment, PTI reported.
The police have sought the assistance of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to carry out rescue operations at the spot. “The SDRF team has not arrived yet,” Kumar said.
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More about explosionsThe blast is suspected to have occurred during coal mining operations at the site, which are believed to be operating illegally.
“Yes, it seems so,” the police official said when asked about the legality of the mining.
He further said that the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained and an investigation will be carried out.
In 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned rat-hole coal mining and other unscientific mining practices in Meghalaya, citing environmental damage and serious safety concerns.
The tribunal also imposed a ban on illegal transportation of coal mined through such methods.
Rat-hole mining involves digging narrow tunnels, usually 3-4 feet high, through which workers enter to extract coal. These horizontal tunnels are commonly referred to as “rat-holes” because they are large enough for a person.
The Supreme Court later upheld the ban, allowing coal mining only under scientific and controlled methods with environmental protection.
