One person was injured and several labourers were 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 the Thangsku area, Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said. “Our team has confirmed that the incident occurred this morning, but the number of people inside the mine is yet to be ascertained,” Kumar told PTI.
He said one person sustained injuries and was first taken to a primary health centre before being referred to Shillong for advanced treatment. Police have sought assistance from the State Disaster Response Force to carry out rescue operations at the site. “The SDRF team is yet to arrive,” Kumar said.
The explosion is suspected to have occurred during coal mining activities at the site, which is believed to be operating illegally. Asked whether the mine was illegal, the officer said, “Yes, it appears so.” Kumar added that the cause of the explosion is not yet known and an inquiry will be conducted.
The National Green Tribunal imposed a ban on rat hole coal mining and other unscientific mining practices in Meghalaya in 2014, citing environmental damage and serious safety concerns, and also restricted the illegal transportation of coal extracted through such methods. Rat hole mining involves digging narrow tunnels, usually about 3 to 4 feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal.
The Supreme Court later upheld the ban, allowing coal mining only through scientific and regulated procedures with appropriate environmental safeguards.
