5 workers from Assam, Tripura trapped in Meghalaya coal mine; one detained

At least five labourers from Assam and Tripura were feared trapped in a coal mine of Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, almost similar to two such tragedies in 2018 and January this year.

SP of East Jaintia Hills district Jagpal Singh Dhanoa, however, said according to details provided by an eye witness of the incident, which happened at around 5 pm on Sunday, five persons got trapped in the coal mine. Two of them are from South Assam's Cachar district, one each from Kamrup and Barpeta district in Assam while another person, identified as Shyamcharan Debbarma, is from Tripura.

Two victims have been identified as Abdul Karim (Kamrup) and Abdul Kalam (Barpeta), while two from Silchar remained unidentified.

A search was launched after SP, Cachar, in Assam informed his counterparts in East Jaintia Hills that five persons got trapped in the coal mine. A search was accordingly launched and the location was identified at Sutnga Interior under Khliehriat police station in East Jaintia Hills district.

The search operation was delayed due to bad weather, poor weather and the non-availability of eye witness's account, police said. "As per the eye witness's account, due to a sudden explosion of dynamite, five persons got trapped in the sudden rush of water into the mine. Within no time, the mine was inundated," Dhanoa said in a statement on Tuesday.

The National Green Tribunal in 2014 had banned the hazardous rate hole coal mining in Meghalaya but the practice has continued clandestinely, resulting in similar mishaps.

The statement said Nizam Ali was identified by the eyewitnesses as the "main culprit" who did nothing to rescue the trapped labourers. "Rather Ali threatened the survivors with dire consequences and chased them away from the mining site," it said.

One person was detained in connection with the incident but he tested Covid-19 positive. He was being kept in isolation at Khliehriat.

At least 17 labourers got similarly trapped and killed in December 2018, while six more died in another mishap in January this year in the same district. Most of the victims were from neighbouring Assam.