Rescue workers on Friday found nine bodies at the site of a coal mine collapse in Jharkhand, a day after the incident took place, reported ANI. Officials fear several workers are still trapped in the mine, which is located in the Lal Matia area of Godda district and run by Eastern Coalfields Limited. All 10 mining equipment that fell into the mine have been extracted.
Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, CMD of Eastern Coalfields Limited and Western Coalfields Limited, said rescue operations were under way. Mishra said three excavators and seven dumpers were found at the mining site, and that one miner is typically assigned to each piece of equipment. Of these, he said, two dumpers were driven away when the mine began to collapse.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the incident. Das announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for the family of those who got killed in the mine collapse. The state government will also provide Rs 25,000 aid to the injured. Eastern Coalfields Limited, too, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those killed.
The Director General of Miines Safety has ordered a probe into the case.
The Coal Ministry said a panel of experts would be set up to ascertain the cause of the collapse.
Three National Disaster Response Force teams have been sent to the accident site from Patna, and one from Ranchi is on its way to Lal Matia. The police said the incident took place while officers were changing shifts.
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