Meghalaya coal mine blast toll rises to 27; crackdown begins in East Jaintia Hills
Guwahati: The death count from the illegal coal mine explosion in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district rose to 27 on Saturday, prompting a delayed district-wide crackdown on the long-running rat-hole mining network.
The toll increased after two additional bodies were pulled out on Saturday, following Thursday’s dynamite blast at Mynsyngat in the Thangsko region of East Jaintia Hills.
The explosion also injured nine others, reflecting the continued operation of underground coal mining despite a ban by the National Green Tribunal.
Police on Saturday escorted two arrested mine owners, Forme Chyrmang (36) and Shamehi War (42, to the explosion site to recreate the sequence of events. During the exercise, the accused were made to point out the specific mining pits where the blast occurred.
East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said investigators recovered 11 detonators along with used electric wires from the area. Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory and the Bomb Disposal Squad have since completed their on-site inspection.
The SP also referred to the detention of non-local individuals carrying explosives at Umpleng Bazaar as ironic, noting that 63 detonators were seized from people from Tripura and Assam.
Officials say this points to an organised supply system supporting illegal mining, with critics maintaining that such materials are arranged by local mine operators to sidestep safety norms.
Police are now searching for five individuals who remain at large, including mine owners and supervisors. Kumar said all five have been identified and warned that if arrests are not made by Sunday, police will move court on Monday for non-bailable arrest warrants. Further legal steps, including property attachment, will follow if required.
A suo motu FIR has been lodged at Khliehriat police station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, and the Explosive Substances Act.
Following the incident, authorities initiated a large-scale enforcement drive across the district. Teams comprising magistrates, police personnel, and mining officials are dismantling workers’ camps and confiscating illegally stored coal.
Around 3,500 metric tonnes of coal have been seized so far, and 25 cases have been registered, with officials expecting the numbers to rise.
Kumar said labour camps were being dismantled and people were being asked to vacate the area, adding that illegal mining would no longer be permitted and that additional armed forces and senior officers had been deployed for the operation.