Chhattisgarh coal mine blast toll rises to nine

KORBA: The death toll in the blast at coal mines of the South Eastern Coalfield Limited (SECL) here rose to nine.

SECL Deputy General Manager (Operations) S K Goswami, along with his colleagues, Nirmal Jangde and Radheshyam, were killed and 32 others injured following an air blast at the coal mine at Anjani Hills in Chirmiri area on May 6.

SECL Chairman and Managing Director M P Dixit said, of the six missing persons, one body was found today from the mine by the rescue operation team.

"Three more persons are feared to be trapped inside the mine, who are still missing after the blast which occurred on May 6," Dixit said.

Meanwhile, SECL President Parthsarthy Bhattacharya accompanied alongwith top officials visited at the site, said that 'officials responsible for this act will not be spared'.

The internal security agency is probing the incident on the mine safety guidelines laid down by the Union Government, Dixit said, adding, even an expert panel is also probing the cause of the incident.