At least 25 labourers lost their lives on Thursday morning after a suspected dynamite explosion at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, officials said. The mine was reportedly involved in rat-hole coal mining, a hazardous method that was banned more than ten years ago but continues to be practised in parts of the state.
The incident occurred at Mynsyngat in the Thangsku area under the Umpleng Police Outpost. Several workers — including local residents and migrant labourers from neighbouring states — were inside the narrow underground tunnels when the blast took place.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar confirmed that rescue operations were suspended late Thursday evening due to poor visibility, darkness and unstable conditions inside the mine. He also cited the possible presence of toxic gases such as carbon monoxide and methane trapped underground, posing a serious risk to rescue teams.
By Thursday evening, authorities had recovered 25 bodies from the site. An investigation has been launched to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion and to identify those responsible for the illegal mining activity.
The tragedy has once again brought attention to the continuing dangers of illegal rat-hole mining and the urgent need for stricter enforcement of mining regulations in the region.
