Shillong: A 48-year-old labourer from Assam lost his life while working at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, police confirmed on Sunday.
The incident occurred on January 14 at a mining site located in Umthe village, where the worker reportedly collapsed during mining operations, said Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar. The deceased has been identified as Mosaid Ali, a resident of Jamuna Moudanga in Assam’s Hojai district.
Ali was immediately rushed to the Sutnga Community Health Centre, but doctors declared him brought dead upon arrival. Following the incident, police sealed the illegal mining site and initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Justice (Retd) BP Katakey, who has been appointed by the Meghalaya High Court to oversee issues related to illegal coal mining and transportation in the state, has sought a comprehensive report from the police regarding the incident.
Despite a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal on rat-hole coal mining, such incidents continue to surface, highlighting the persistence of illegal mining activities in the region. Social activist Agnes Kharshiing stated that the tragedy underscores the unchecked nature of unlawful coal extraction and transportation in the state.
