The toll in the coal mine collapse in Jharkhand rose to 13 after two more bodies were recovered on Saturday, IANS reported. A police spokesperson said rescue operations were still underway at the site, where 9.5 million cubic metres of earth fell 35 metres, trapping many workers and mining equipment inside.
In a statement, the Coal Ministry called the incident “unprecedented” and said senior officials had begun an inquiry. The collapse likely took place because of the “failure of the bench edge along a hidden fault line” at the mine, the ministry said. Meanwhile, Coal India Limited has formed a “high-level committee of experts” to investigate the causes of the incident.
On Friday, Chief Managing Director of Eastern Coalfields Limited and Western Coalfields Limited Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said three excavators and seven dumpers were found at the mining site. The mine, located in the Lal Matia area of Godda district, was run by Eastern Coalfields Limited.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the mishap. Das announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who died 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.
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