2 killed in another Meghalaya mine collapse; fate of 15 trapped miners uncertain

Police have uncovered another four cases of illegal mining in the coal-rich East Jaintia Hills district, an area where a National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban on such activities has been in place for more than four years.

Two miners were found dead on Sunday in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, who police suspect were killed by falling boulders that hit them while they were trying to extract coal, even as the fate of 15 people trapped in a flooded mine since December 13 is unknown.

Two miners were found dead on Sunday in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, who police suspect were killed by falling boulders that hit them while they were trying to extract coal, even as the fate of 15 people trapped in a flooded mine since December 13 is unknown.(AFP)

The dead were identified as Elad Bareh and Monoj Basumatry from Mooknor in Jalyiah village. The matter is under inquiry and efforts are on to find the owner of the quarry, police said.

Police have uncovered another four cases of illegal mining in the coal-rich East Jaintia Hills district, an area where a National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban on such activities has been in place for more than four years. Illegal mining has been rampant after the Supreme Court extended the date to transport coal that was already supposed to have been extracted prior to the NGT ban in 2014.

“As soon as we arrest 10 (illegal miners), 20 more turn up in the district,” superintendent of police of East Jaintia Hills S Nongtnger said while speaking to the Hindustan Times over the phone.

Meanwhile, police have been conducting raids on illegal coal mining and during one such incident, a person called Abdul Hussain, who was allegedly operating a crane to lift fresh coal from a mine in Sankilo Umlawang village, was apprehended. A case was registered against him in Khliehriat, the district headquarters.

In another case, three men, Binod Basumatary, Bikram Sonal and Arjun Rai, were apprehended while allegedly illegally extracting coal in the Sankilo area. The owner of the mine was identified as Willingness Latam of Moopala village.

On Saturday, police had arrested four labourers, Prakash Basumatary, Jogan Boro, D Narzary and Ram Kumar Rai, while they were allegedly mining coal illegally near Lelad Junction. The owner of the mine has been identified as Brojoy Dkhar.

Meanwhile, the rescue operation for the 15 miners trapped in a flooded illegal coal mine in Ksan village of East Jaintia Hills district was affected on Sunday as the two high-powered pumps engaged in dewatering faced technical glitches.

Rescue officials at Ksan said that more than 12 lakh litres of water have been pumped out of the flooded mine, but even on Sunday the reduction in the level of water was only two feet after seven hours of running the pumps. This was due to seepage of river water from other parts of the mine.