Mining resumes at Lalmatia

DHANBAD: Mining resumed on Sunday at the Eastern Coalfields Limited’s Lalmatia open cast coalmine which was shut after a collapse killed more than a dozen workers on December 28.

Coal from the mine was dispatched to Kahalgoan Thermal power plant of National Thermal Power Corporation for power generation. “Mining operations at Lalmatia mine resumed from today around 7 am. One rack of coal dispatched to NTPC,” said BN Shukla, director technical of Eastern Coalfields Limited. The senior officer is camping at Lalmatia mines.

“The company started mining at Bhoriay, located at a distance of over 300 meters from the accident spot.”

Preparations were completed on Saturday evening for mining, Shukla said, adding that around 10,000 ton of coal was mined in morning shift. The families of mine collapse victims will be handed out ₹20.44 lakh as compensation, he said.

At least 18 people, most of them miners, were killed with a massive mound of earth caved in on excavators at the Lalmatia open cast coalmine. Five are still trapped according to company authorities.The actual numbers of trapped miners are not known as attendance is marked at the end of a shift.

“The company has gathered details, including the bank account of those who died in the accident, for disbursing compensation. The labour department fixed a compensation of ₹8.44 lakh and the rest includes solatium announced by the state government, the outsourced firm and ECL.”

The families of five men, who still remain trapped in mines, will also get compensation after verification of documents subject to government clearance, Shukla said.

Rescue operation is closed at Lalmatia as of now. “The Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) feels that continuing operations at the accident spot may be dangerous for safety of rescuers engaged in the rescue operations.” Shukla did not provide any date when the rescue operation will resume.