Thangsku, Feb 5: At least 16 laborers lost their lives on Thursday morning following a massive explosion at an unauthorized coal mine in the Thangsku area of East Jaintia Hills. Director General of Police I Nongrang confirmed the fatalities and noted that rescue teams are currently working to locate several other workers who are feared trapped deep inside the structure.
The blast occurred during active mining operations at a site that authorities believe was being run in violation of existing bans. While the exact number of people inside the mine remains unknown, search parties have been deployed to the district to accelerate recovery efforts.
“We have recovered 16 bodies so far. The exact number of labourers present inside the mine at the time of the explosion is yet to be ascertained,” the DGP said.
Local law enforcement confirmed that at least one survivor was pulled from the site with injuries. East Jaintia Hills SP Vikash Kumar mentioned that the injured individual was moved from a local health center to a hospital in Shillong for specialized care. When asked about the legality of the site, the SP said that it appeared to be an illegal operation.
The incident has once again brought the dangerous practice of rat-hole mining into focus. This method involves workers entering narrow, horizontal tunnels—often only three to four feet high—to extract coal. Such unscientific practices were banned by the National Green Tribunal in 2014 due to the high risk to human life and the environment.
Officials noted that an inquiry will be conducted to determine the specific cause of the explosion. Despite the Supreme Court upholding the ban on unregulated mining, the presence of such “rat-holes” continues to pose a significant challenge to local authorities in the region.
