Two Meghalaya miners die of suspected gas poisoning in Assam's Tinsukia
TINSUKIA: In a tragic incident, two coal miners, believed to be from Meghalaya, have died due to suspected gas poisoning in Assam's Tinsukia district.
This event occurred nearly a month after a similar mining tragedy in the same area claimed three lives, including two individuals from Meghalaya.
The miners were discovered unconscious in the Dharna Basti area of Lidu Pahar in Tinsukia on the evening of July 01, according to reports.
They were immediately transported to the Margherita First Referral Unit (FRU) for medical treatment.
However, doctors declared them brought dead upon arrival.
The bodies were subsequently handed over to the Margherita police station in Assam.
Local residents allege that the deceased were allegedly engaged in illegal rat-hole mining operations at Ledo in Assam, purportedly managed by a local trader.
Despite a ban by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and stringent guidelines from state authorities, illegal rat-hole mining continues to persist in the region.
On June 21, a seven-member Assam assembly delegation conducted a field inspection of illegal coal trade and rat-hole mining activities in Tinsukia, underscoring the ongoing issue.
The previous incident, which occurred on May 25, involved a landslide and cave-in at a mining site between Bargolai and Namdang in the Patkai hills, near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Tinsukia.
This tragedy claimed the lives of two Khasi laborers from Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district, John Nongrum from Jatah village and Phiniellin Umbah from Korhadem village.