East Jaintia Hills

At least sixteen people lost their lives in an explosion at a suspected illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday, police officials confirmed.

The blast occurred at a rat-hole coal mining site in the Thangskai area, leaving one person injured with burn wounds. Rescue teams have been engaged in operations since the incident to locate those trapped underground.

Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar said that several labourers were inside the mine when the explosion took place. “The incident occurred in the Thangskai area earlier today. Following the explosion, multiple workers were trapped inside the mine. Teams from the SDRF, police, and district administration immediately launched search and rescue efforts. So far, 16 bodies have been recovered, and one person has sustained burn injuries,” he said.

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Officials added that rescue operations are still underway as several individuals are believed to be trapped inside the mine. Additional details are awaited.