At least 10 labourers are feared dead, one person has been injured, and several others are feared trapped following an explosion at a suspected illegal coal mine in a village in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday.The incident occurred in the Thangsku area, according to Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar."Our team has confirmed that the explosion took place this morning, although the exact number of people inside the mine is yet to be confirmed," Kumar told PTI.
Kumar added that one person was injured and initially taken to a primary health centre before being referred to Shillong, the state capital, for more specialised treatment.The police have sought assistance from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to carry out rescue operations at the site. "The SDRF team are yet to come," Kumar said.
The explosion is suspected to have occurred during coal mining activities at the site, which is believed to be an illegal operation. Asked whether the mine was operating illegally, the police officer said, "Yes, it seems like that." He said the cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained, and an inquiry will be conducted. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had imposed a ban on rat-hole coal mining and other unscientific mining practices in Meghalaya in 2014, citing environmental damage and safety risks, while also restricting illegal transportation of coal extracted through such methods.