At least 18 miners were killed on Thursday following a powerful explosion at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district in northeastern India, police have confirmed. One miner sustained severe burn injuries and is receiving treatment in the hospital, while rescue teams continue searching for others feared trapped underground.

 

The blast occurred around 11:00 am local time inside the mine, which was operating in a forested area about 72 kilometres from the state capital, Shillong. Police believe the explosion was caused by dynamite used during rat-hole mining, a dangerous method that involves digging narrow tunnels through which miners crouch to extract coal, Reuters reported.

 

Meghalaya Police Superintendent Vikash Kumar said 18 bodies had been recovered by Thursday evening, but the total number of workers inside the mine at the time of the explosion was still unknown. He added that the identities of both the victims and the mine owners had not yet been established, and a criminal case had been opened against unidentified suspects.

 

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced financial assistance of 200,000 rupees for the families of those who died and 50,000 rupees for the injured, according to a statement shared by his office and reported by international media.

 

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said authorities would ensure accountability. “Those responsible will face strict legal action,” he said in a statement issued after the incident, as quoted by Reuters.

 

Local residents told reporters that many of the miners were believed to be from the neighbouring state of Assam. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said his government would support affected families if the victims were confirmed to be from his state.

 

Rat-hole mining has been banned in Meghalaya since 2014 following an order by India’s National Green Tribunal, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court. Despite the ban, activists say illegal mining continues in remote areas due to weak enforcement, high demand for coal and poverty in mining communities, Reuters reported.

 

The latest tragedy is among the deadliest mining accidents in the state in recent years. In 2018, at least 15 miners were trapped after a rat-hole mine flooded in the same region, with only a few survivors eventually rescued.

 

Activists and rights groups have repeatedly warned that unregulated mining, carried out without proper safety equipment, continues to claim lives across several Indian states, including Assam, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

 

Authorities say rescue operations will continue until all suspected trapped miners are accounted for.