Guwahati: Meghalaya Police have arrested two local mine owners in connection with a blast at an illegal rat-hole coal mine in the East Jaintia Hills district that claimed at least 18 lives, Director General of Police I Nongrang said on Friday.
Another individual has been identified in connection with the incident, and further investigation is underway, police said. The explosion occurred on Thursday when dynamite, allegedly used for breaking rocks during coal extraction, detonated inside the illegal mine.
At least 18 people were killed in the blast, while several others sustained injuries. Rescue operations are continuing amid concerns that more workers may still be trapped inside the mine. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force remain deployed at the site to assist in search and recovery efforts.
Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said the arrested individuals are locals and added that more arrests are likely as the probe progresses. Authorities are examining the chain of responsibility behind the illegal mining operation.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma directed immediate action against those responsible and announced a comprehensive inquiry into the tragedy. He warned against involvement in illegal coal mining and said accountability would be fixed without compromise on public safety. Ministers Lahkmen Rymbui and Wailadmiki Shylla were on their way to the incident site to assess the situation and review ongoing rescue operations.
The incident has once again highlighted Meghalaya’s troubled history with illegal coal mining. In 2018, at least 15 miners were trapped deep underground in a similar illegal mine in the state, and despite a prolonged rescue operation involving multiple agencies, only two bodies could be recovered.
Despite a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal in 2014 on rat-hole coal mining and coal transportation due to serious environmental and safety concerns, illegal mining activities continue in several parts of the state. High daily wages often attract workers, many of them from neighbouring Assam, to these hazardous mining sites.
Authorities said the investigation will focus on fixing responsibility and preventing the recurrence of such incidents.
