Portion of land caves in along with mini truck in Jharkhand's Dhanbad

Dhanbad (Jharkhand): A portion of land, along with a parked mini truck, caved in at Jharia township in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district, police said on Saturday.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

A large crater, around 10 feet wide and 15 feet deep, was formed following the incident that took place around 9.45 pm on Friday near an automobile repair workshop adjacent to the busy Indira Chowk under the jurisdiction of Jharia police station, they added.

Jharia police station in-charge Shashiranjan Kumar said that the area has been cordoned off.

"No casualty has been reported. A defunct mini truck that was parked near the motor garage was buried," he said.

This was the second incident of land subsidence in the area.

On June 6, 2017, a roadside garage operator, Babloo Khan (40) and his 14-year-old son Rahim Khan, were buried alive after a portion of land caved in, another official said.

Over 50 families reside near Indira Chowk and over 100 shops operate near the incident spot.

The Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) has already declared the area a dangerous zone due to underground fire, and Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) has also served eviction notices to residents.

BCCL South Tisra colliery project officer Sanjeev Kashyap told reporters, "The area has already been declared dangerous and residents have been offered to shift to a safe place. But they are not ready to leave." Sama Khatoon (40), a local resident, alleged that the BCCL conducted a survey of the residents but has not given any quarters so far.

Another resident, Najma Begum (85), said BCCL has offered two-room flats at Bengaria township to the residents of the area.

"I have five sons. How could I adjust in a two-room flat with five sons and their families? They also run their shops for livelihood here. So, how could we leave Jharia?" she asked.

Jharkhand Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari on Sunday held a meeting with officials in Dhanbad on an amended Jharia master plan for the rehabilitation of residents of the affected areas.