Meghalaya: Toll in blast at illegal coal mine rises to 27

The toll in the blast at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district has risen to 27, the state disaster management authority said on Saturday.

Nine persons were injured in the incident that occurred at Mynsyngat, Thangsko on Thursday morning, the state government said. The site of the explosion was located about 40 km from the district headquarters.

In a press release, the authority described the incident as a “dynamite explosion”.

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

In a press release on Friday, East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar had said that four more bodies were recovered by rescue personnel from the mine.

Eighteen bodies had been recovered from the site on Thursday, The Hindu reported.

“The victims are from Assam, Meghalaya, and Nepal,” the newspaper quoted Kumar as saying.

Kumar, in the press release, also said that a suo moto first information report had been filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita read with the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, and the Explosive Substances Act.

The two persons arrested in the matter were 36-year-old Forme Chyrmang and 42-year-old Shamehi War, the superintendent of police added. They were produced before a court and remanded to three days of police custody.

“Efforts are ongoing to identify...

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