Shillong: At least 18 workers died in a powerful explosion at an illegal rat-hole mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday morning, with several others feared trapped inside the narrow mining tunnels.
Rescue teams recovered the bodies from the site at Mynsyngat, Thangsko, but operations continue amid uncertainty over the total number of trapped miners. Police have filed an FIR charging culpable homicide, violations of the Mines and Minerals Act, and the Explosive Substances Act.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced ex gratia payments to the victims' families and ordered a high-level inquiry. "The Government of Meghalaya has ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. Accountability will be fixed, and those responsible will face strict legal action. There will be no compromise when it comes to the safety of lives," he affirmed.
Such tragedies plague Meghalaya's unregulated rat-hole mining. In 2018, 15 miners suffocated in a flooded illegal coal mine in the same district, with most bodies never recovered despite prolonged rescue efforts.