Assam: Police nab five, uncovers pattern of unreported deaths at Dima Hasao coal mines

Haflong: Five people were arrested by police in connection with the death workers at a coal mining site at Umrangso in Assam's Dima Hasao district.

They were brought to Haflong police station on Friday, but police declined to release their names as the investigation is underway. This arrest comes amidst reports of a pattern of unreported deaths at the coal mines.

Sources said fatalities at Assam coal quarries in Umrangso are frequent but often go unreported. This is due to alleged practices where mine owners compensate the families of deceased workers to avoid scrutiny.

In one such incident in early December 2023, two miners entered a rat-hole mine. One miner was buried in a coal debris. Although the body was recovered, the incident was reportedly not reported to police.

The mine owner allegedly compensated the victim's family with an amount between Rs. 1.5 and 2 lakhs.

Another incident occurred at the quarry site in 2023 when a crane collapsed onto a dumper, killing a worker.

This incident also reportedly went unreported, with the mine owner allegedly compensating the victim's family with Rs. 2 lakhs.

Sources suggest that the frequency of fatalities at the coal mining site is significant, and ongoing police investigations are expected to uncover more unreported incidents and potentially identify additional individuals involved.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, police and district administration officials launched a crackdown on illegal rat-hole mining in Umrangso.

According to an official, they began sealing the illegal rat-hole mines and have already closed down at least three illegal coal mines.