The explosion occurred at a suspected illegal mining site during active coal extraction. East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar confirmed the fatalities and said the exact number of workers inside the mine at the time of the blast was not immediately known. “Our team has confirmed that the incident took place this morning, but the number of people inside was not confirmed then,” Kumar said.
Local police, assisted by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), launched rescue efforts soon after the incident. Teams are clearing debris and assessing structural stability to reach those who may be trapped underground. Officials said the injured worker remains under medical care, and further details on casualties may emerge as operations progress.
Preliminary assessments suggest the blast may have been triggered during coal mining operations involving explosives. The precise cause is yet to be established, and a formal inquiry has been ordered. Authorities are also examining whether safety norms were violated and whether explosives were handled without authorization.
Illegal coal mining has long plagued parts of Meghalaya, despite a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014 on rat-hole mining and other unscientific practices due to environmental damage and grave safety risks. The Supreme Court later upheld the ban, permitting mining only under regulated, scientific procedures with environmental safeguards. However, enforcement challenges persist, and clandestine operations continue to surface.
Rat-hole mining involves digging narrow tunnels—often just three to four feet high—through which workers crawl to extract coal. The method is largely unregulated, offers little ventilation, and typically lacks basic safety equipment, making it especially hazardous. Explosions, cave-ins, and flooding are recurring risks.
Thursday’s incident has revived memories of the 2018 tragedy in the same district, where 15 miners died after being trapped in a flooded mine more than 300 feet deep. That disaster prompted renewed scrutiny of illegal mining networks but did not fully halt the practice.
Officials said accountability will be fixed once the inquiry concludes. Rescue operations are ongoing, and authorities have urged local communities to report illegal mining activities to prevent further loss of life.
