16 dead in coal mine blast in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills

Imphal: Around16 labourers were killed, and several others feared trapped following an explosion at a coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday.

Director General of Police I Nongrang said, "We have recovered 16 bodies so far. More people are feared trapped.”

The incident occurred in the Thangsku area during coal mining activities at the site. It is believed that it is an illegal coal mine.


The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had imposed a ban on rat-hole coal mining and other unscientific mining practices in Meghalaya in 2014, citing environmental damage and safety risks, while also restricting illegal transportation of coal extracted through such methods.

Rat-hole mining is a primitive method that entails clearing ground vegetation and digging pits ranging from five to 100 square metres to reach the coal seam. Tunnels are made into the seam sideways to extract the coal, which is brought into the pit by using a conical basket or a wheelbarrow manually. Coal seams are reached by excavating the side edge of the hill slopes and then coal is extracted through a horizontal tunnel.