Shillong: Several labourers were feared trapped following an explosion at a suspected illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday.
The incident took place in the Thangsku area, Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said.
“Our team has confirmed that the incident took place this morning, but the number of people inside was not confirmed,” PTI quoted Kumar as saying.
The SP said one person sustained injuries and had to be shifted to the state capital Shillong for advanced treatment after being initially taken to a primary health centre.
Police and local administration have sought assistance from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to intensify rescue operations.
The mine is believed to be operating illegally, and the explosion occurred during coal mining activities.
A thorough investigation will be initiated to identify the exact cause of the explosion.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had imposed a ban on rat-hole coal mining and other unscientific mining practices in Meghalaya in 2014 because of environmental damage and serious safety concerns.
Rat-hole mining refers to digging narrow tunnels, around 3-4 feet high, through which workers squeeze in to extract coal. These horizontal tunnels are known as ‘rat holes’ as they are barely large enough for one person.
NGT had also restricted illegal transportation of coal extracted through such methods.
The tribunal was vindicated as the Supreme Court upheld the ban, allowing coal mining only under scientific and regulated procedures with environmental safeguards in place.
