At least three people were killed, including a child, and many others feared trapped when an illegally operated coal mine collapsed in India near Dhanbad.
The incident took place Friday morning at the Bhowra Colliery Area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited. Later on, the mine had been declared closed.
Local residents reached the incident scene and rescued people from the debris and rushed five people to nearby hospitals. Three people – a child, a woman, and a 25-year-old man – were announced dead.
Police affirmed that rescue operations are on and the number of people injured is not clear yet.
Witness Vinod Kumar Sudhakar revealed: “The authorities were slow to react despite us informing them about the collapse. We pulled out a few people and sent them to hospitals.”
“We will protest until a First Information Report is registered. Illegal mining is widespread here and many complaints have been made, but no action has been taken,” he added. “The result of ignoring the complaints is before us.”
Another local resident highlighted: “Illegal mining is a daily occurrence here. A similar incident had happened in the area some time ago. Some people had been injured, but there were no deaths. We have made several complaints but to no avail.”
