A catastrophic explosion has ripped through an illicit coal mining operation in northeastern India, claiming the lives of 23 individuals and casting renewed scrutiny on the persistent dangers of outlawed extraction practices. The tragedy unfolded Thursday in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, where rescue teams worked tirelessly to recover victims from the devastating blast.
Senior district official Manish Kumar confirmed the rising death toll to AFP on Friday, stating: ‘Today we recovered four more bodies. We will resume rescue operations again tomorrow.’ Among the fatalities was one injured individual who succumbed to wounds while receiving medical treatment.
The disaster occurred in what locals term a ‘rat-hole’ mine – a hazardous configuration of deep vertical shafts branching into narrow, claustrophobic tunnels where workers risk their lives extracting coal and minerals. Despite a comprehensive ban imposed by India’s federal environment court in 2014, these illegal operations continue to proliferate across Meghalaya, particularly in the mineral-rich East Jaintia Hills region.
District police chief Vikash Kumar indicated preliminary investigations suggest the explosion likely resulted from improperly handled dynamite, a common tool in these unregulated mining activities. The 2014 prohibition came after sustained complaints from local communities about severe water source contamination and perpetual safety hazards endangering both miners and residents.
This incident echoes similar mining tragedies globally, including a recent massive landslide in DR Congo that reportedly claimed hundreds of lives, highlighting the universal dangers of unregulated resource extraction practices that prioritize profit over human safety.