Daijiworld Media Network - Guwahati

Guwahati, Feb 6: Meghalaya police have arrested two local mine owners in connection with the illegal rat-hole coal mine blast in East Jaintia Hills district that claimed at least 18 lives and left another person injured on Thursday.

Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar told that the arrested individuals are locals and further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses. The blast occurred when dynamite, commonly used to break rocks for coal extraction, exploded inside the illegal mine.

Search and rescue operations are still underway at the site, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) deployed to trace any remaining victims.

Following Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s instructions, Ministers Lahkmen Rymbui and Wailadmiki Shylla were on their way to the incident site to review the situation.

“We have instructed the police to take full action against those responsible for the incident,” Sangma said, warning people against indulging in illegal coal mining. He also announced a comprehensive inquiry into the tragedy, asserting that accountability would be fixed and there would be no compromise on the safety of lives.

Meghalaya has a grim history of coal mine accidents. In 2018, at least 15 miners were trapped nearly 370 feet underground in an illegal mine. Despite a rescue operation lasting over two months and involving multiple agencies, including the Indian Navy, only two bodies could be recovered.

Attracted by high daily wages, sometimes up to Rs 2,000, many workers, particularly from Assam, continue to be drawn to coal mines in Meghalaya.

The National Green Tribunal had imposed a ban on rat-hole coal mining and its transportation in the state in 2014 due to concerns over rampant, unregulated and unsafe mining practices. However, despite the ban, illegal mining activities have continued unabated.