Three women buried alive when ground gave way, lack of toilets sent them out to relieve themselves
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Dhanbad: Three women lost their lives on Sunday when the ground gave way beneath them while they were relieving themselves in the open due to the absence of toilets in their homes.
The tragic incident took place in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
The victims, identified as Parla Devi, Thandhi Devi, and Mandava Devi, resided in the Dhobi Kulhi area of Gondudih colliery, characterised by unstable old underground workings and susceptibility to fires and subsidence. The Gondudih Khas Kusunda Colliery is operated by Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited.
The tragic incident occurred near Hilltop High-rise outsourcing company, close to the Gondudih colliery in Dhanbad.
The women ventured out to relieve themselves when a massive landslide took place with a deafening roar. Locals recounted their futile attempts to rescue the women.
The first woman, Parla Devi, became trapped in the sinking ground, and in a valiant attempt to rescue her, two others, Thandhi Devi and Mandava Devi, also met with the same fate.
Allegations of negligence were directed at BCCL, as police and mine rescue teams from BCCL reportedly arrived several hours after being notified. Expressing their outrage, villagers argued that the tragedy could have been averted with proper rehabilitation measures for people living in subsidence-prone areas.
Currently, a significant presence of police and CISF personnel is observed at the site, where rescue teams are diligently working to recover the bodies. Prashant Kumar Layak, Dhanbad circle officer, confirmed that the rescue operation is ongoing, and the process of providing compensation to the bereaved families will commence once the bodies are retrieved.