Meghalaya: 5 miners trapped after blast in rat-hole mine

Despite complete the ban of the National Green Tribunal on unscientific rat-hole mining of coal in Meghalaya, at least five workers are feared trapped in a 500-feet-deep abandoned coal mine in the Umpleng area of East Jaintia Hills district of the state.

The accident came to light when one Karimul Bari of Assam’s Cachar district reported to the Assam Police that one of his neighbours was among the miners feared trapped in the coal mine accident that took place on Sunday.

Rescue operations were underway on Tuesday to trace the five migrant workers from Assam and Tripura trapped inside a rat-hole coal mine, officials said. The incident took place when water gushed in and inundated the mine after a dynamite explosion.

The Meghalaya government has directed the deputy commissioner of East Jaintia Hills, E. Kharmlaki, to institute a magisterial inquiry into the mishap and file an FIR against whoever is involved.

Police have already registered a case under IPC sections and the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act and Disaster Management Act.

Jagpal Singh Dhanoa, SP of the district, said, “The main culprit, according to the eyewitnesses, is the ‘sardar’ Nizam Ali who did nothing to rescue the trapped labourers. Rather, Ali threatened the survivors with dire consequences and chased them away from the mining site.”

He told reporters that it appears the mine was operating illegally. “There are six-seven survivors. According to them, at least five workers got trapped inside. It has been raining incessantly for the last two days. Therefore, pumping water out of the mine to rescue the workers is proving to be difficult. Police have been trying hard to arrest the sardar of the mine,” he added.

Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma held the state government responsible for the incident and alleged that illegal coal mining was operating with impunity across Meghalaya.

“Never in the history of Meghalaya and NE India has such a cartel operated with complete impunity engaging in illegal coal mining and illegal transportation and illegal transaction of such coal across the states – robbing the states. Na khaunga, na khane dunga... kab hoga?” said on his Twitter handle. The Congress leader has in the past raised the issue of illegal and unscientific mining and transportation of coal across the state.

Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh also demanded to know “who profits from this system?”

In January this year, six labourers were killed in an “accident” involving a crane near an abandoned coal mine in the same district, leading to investigations into whether there was an attempt to mine coal illegally.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned unsafe and unscientific coal mining and transportation since 2014.