At least six persons died have died since Monday while several others are feared trapped inside three abandoned coal mines in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Rescue operations are under way. The three abandoned coal mines are Gopinathpur Open Cast Project (OCP) of Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) under Nirsa police station, Kapasara also of ECL and Chach Victoria of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL). They collapsed as mining was being done illegally.
“Among those whose bodies have been found so far are three women and a girl, from Gopinathpur OCP of ECL. Rescue operations by local police and other coal companies are under way,” said Prem Kumar Tiwari, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dhanbad. “Only the coal companies can tells us the number of people trapped inside. We’re verifying the details. Our teams have rushed to the sites”, said Dhanbad Superintendent of Police (Rural), Reeeshma Ramesan.
However, coal companies’ officials said since the incidents happened at abandoned coal mines, it came under the purview of the local district administration.
Illegal quarrying of coal from abandoned mines are said to be rampant in the coal belt of Dhanbad. “It has been going on for many years in complicity with coal mafias, police and politicians. Dhanbad mafias are infamous for illegal trade in coal which they call ‘black diamond”, a former employee of ECL who did not wish to be identified told The Hindu over phone. “The death toll may go up in the days to come. Victims’ families hesitate to claim the body for fear of administrative action”, he added.
Locals are said to have managed to rescue some of the miners before the rescue team and coal company officials arrived.
Officials said the Kapasara coal mine collapsed first on Monday, followed by the mine at Chach Victoria. The third incident at Gopinathpur Open Cast project mine happened on Tuesday.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren expressed grief over the incident and said all help was being been provided at the sites. “Some causality has been reported from the coal mine in Nirsa of Dhanbad. The district administration is actively engaged in rescue and relief work there. May God grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the family in this difficult time. Help is being provided to the injured”, Mr Soren tweeted.
