Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday spoke to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to review the situation following a deadly explosion at a suspected illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district, which claimed at least 18 lives.
Shah assured the chief minister of all possible assistance from the Centre for rescue and relief operations, according to ANI.
The blast occurred at an illegal coal mine in the Thangsku area earlier in the day. Officials said several workers are feared trapped, and rescue teams have been deployed to search for survivors and recover those still inside.
Director General of Police I. Nongrang said intensive search operations are underway, while East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar confirmed that 18 bodies have been recovered so far, as reported by PTI.
One injured worker was initially taken to the Sutnga Primary Health Centre and later shifted to a hospital in Shillong for advanced treatment. Authorities said the exact number of labourers present at the site at the time of the explosion is yet to be confirmed, though preliminary findings suggest the blast occurred during illegal mining activities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and ₹50,000 to those injured. In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office expressed condolences and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. He said accountability would be fixed and those responsible would face strict legal action. The state government reiterated that there would be no compromise on safety and pledged full support to the affected families.
The National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole mining and other unscientific mining practices in Meghalaya in 2014 due to environmental and safety concerns. The Supreme Court later upheld the ban, allowing mining only under regulated and environmentally compliant procedures.
Rat-hole mining involves digging narrow horizontal tunnels, often just three to four feet high, through which workers manually extract coal, making it highly dangerous.
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