Meghalaya coal mine blast toll rises to 30; rescue ops called off

Guwahati: The death toll in Meghalaya's coal mine blast has risen to 30, with two more people succumbing to their injuries on Tuesday. They were undergoing treatment in Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH).

The explosion had occurred last week at the illegally operated coal mine in the remote Thangsko area of Mynsngat village in East Jaintia Hills district.

The Assam government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each of the deceased workers from the state.


Eight labourers from Assam -- all from Cachar district -- have died in the incident.

Sources said rescue operations at the blast site were called off on Monday evening following the recovery of the bodies.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday announced the constitution of a judicial inquiry commission to investigate the explosion.

Sangma stated in X, “The government has decided to constitute a judicial inquiry commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to investigate the recent tragic mining incident in Mynsngat - Thangsko area in East Jaintia Hills.”

In 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had imposed a ban on rat-hole coal mining and other unscientific mining practices in Meghalaya, 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 manually using a conical basket or a wheelbarrow.