Five Dead After Coal Mine Collapses in Jharkhand's Dhanbad; SIT Set Up for Probe

As per officials, at least 24 persons have died due to mishaps at ECL's mines in Nirsa in the last four years.

A portion of Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) coal mine collapsed in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Image of mining used for representational purposes.

(Photo altered by The Quint)

Five coal-pickers, including four women, died on Tuesday, 1 February, after a portion of Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) coal mine collapsed in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.

The government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Superintendent of Police (Dhanbad-Rural) Reeshma Ramesan, to probe the mishap at the Gopinathpur abandoned mines of ECL in Nirsa police station area during illegal mining by locals, the police was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The police has also written to Directorate General Of Mines Safety (DGMS) seeking a technical report in the matter, reported ANI, citing Dhanbad SSP Sanjeev Kumar.

Kumar added, "The incident occurred only at the Gopinathpur mines of ECL where five bodies have been retrieved from the debris. All five bodies – four women and a man – have been identified."

As per officials, at least 24 persons have died due to mishaps during illegal mining at ECL's mines in Nirsa in the last four years.

An ECL official informed that they have filed a complaint against unknown persons over illegal mining at Nirsa police station. The official added that since unauthorised entry to abandoned mines is prohibited, security has been sought from the administration, PTI reported.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Nirsa MLA Aparna Sengupta has demanded for a murder case to be lodged against ECL officials.

Hitting out at the Hemant Soren government, she said that such incidents have increased during the present regime.

Claiming that at least a dozen villagers have lost their lives in the incident, former Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee of Marxists Coordination Committee (MCC) claimed, "Illegal coal mining is being done at such a large scale for the first time in Nirsa area collieries of ECL. Without the involvement of ECL management, CISF and local police, such large-scale illegal coal mining is not possible."

Further, former Chief Minister Raghubar Das has demanded compensation and jobs for the kin of those killed.