At least 16 people were killed and many injured in a suspected dynamite explosion at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday morning, police said.
Confirming the incident, Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said till evening, 16 bodies had been recovered but were yet to be identified. The injured person, who sustained burn injuries, was shifted to a hospital in Shillong for treatment.
Police teams rushed to the site after receiving information about the explosion, while a unit from the Fire and Emergency Services in Shillong was also dispatched to assist in rescue and assessment operations.
“We are trying to gather information about the mine owner and those operating the mine. Necessary legal action will be taken once details are verified,” the SP said, adding that a case would be registered based on the findings of the team at the site.
Coal mining in Meghalaya has been under scrutiny since the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban in 2014 on coal extraction and transportation, citing widespread unregulated and unsafe mining practices, particularly the hazardous “rat-hole” mining method.
Despite the ban, illegal mining activities have reportedly continued, leading to repeated accidents. Meghalaya, known for its high-quality coal, has witnessed several fatal mining incidents in recent years.
In one of the most tragic cases in 2018, at least 15 miners were trapped nearly 370 feet inside an illegal coal mine. Despite prolonged rescue operations involving multiple agencies, including the Indian Navy, only a few bodies could be recovered, while five miners managed to escape.
On December 23 last year, two mine workers died in a dynamite explosion in the same area. Although the district police initially dismissed the news of the explosion as “baseless,” following reports published in the media, a one-member committee headed by B.P. Kataky, appointed by the Meghalaya High Court, sought a report from the police. Simultaneously, the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission suo motu requested a detailed report from the state government.
Subsequently, on January 14, Mosaid Ali, a resident of Hojai district in Assam, died in an accident at an illegal coal mine in Umthe village of the district. This incident also came under the scrutiny of the Justice Katki committee.
High daily wages — sometimes reaching ₹2,000 — have drawn many workers, particularly from neighbouring Assam, to the state’s coal mines.
Following concerns over environmental damage and illegal operations, the Meghalaya High Court had constituted a one-man committee headed by Justice (Retd) B P Katakey to investigate and recommend measures for environmental restoration.
Activists have often alleged that many illegal coal mines are linked to influential individuals. The Meghalaya government, however, has repeatedly denied the existence of illegal coal mining in the state.