Dhanbad mine 'collapse' NDRF BCCL launch rescue operation

    Dhanbad, Jul 25 (PTI) A joint team from the NDRF and the Bharat Coking Coal Ltd started a search operation to rescue miners allegedly trapped during illegal mining in an abandoned coal mine in Jharkhand's Dhanbad, officials said.
    The operation by a 35-member squad of the NDRF and a 15-member BCCL mines’ rescue wing began around 11.30 am, after a futile attempt to search for the miners late on Thursday evening.
    Meanwhile, confusion continues over the alleged mine collapse incident at the Block-2 closed underground mines of BCCL at Baghmara, with several leaders claiming muiltiple deaths in the incident.
    The NDRF was mobilised on Wednesday after Giridih MP C P Choudhary staged a dharna at Baghmara police station, demanding immediate rescue operations at the spot.
    "The MP has pointed out three spots as suspected sites of trapped persons. Search operation has started at one of the spots and other locations would come under its ambit soon," Baghmara police station officer in-charge Ajit Kumar said.
    The incident occured on July 22 evening, after roof of underground closed mines at Block 2 caved in, allegedly trapping several hired workers.
    An NDRF official said on the condition of anonymity that the speed of the search operation is slow in absence of required resources, including JCB machines.
    Jamshedpur West MLA and former Jharkhand minister Saryu Roy had on Thursday alleged a large-scale cover-up to conceal at least 15 deaths in the incident, calling it a case of "people being deliberately buried under fresh soil to destroy evidence".
    On Wednesday, Choudhary had claimed that at least nine workers lost their lives.
    Despite mounting allegations, officials from the Dhanbad district administration, BCCL and police claim that no signs of any such incident have been found so far.


    Choudhary has submitted a list of five people allegedly trapped after the roof of a mine reportedly collapsed during illegal mining activities.
    Roy alleged that the National Disaster Response Force team deployed at the site was without necessary equipment, because of a lack of support from the local administration.
    He also accused the BCCL and the police of aiding illegal mining operations and protecting those responsible.
    According to him, extortion is rampant in outsourced coal mines, with Rs 1,600 per tonne reportedly being illegally charged during coal loading, “under protection from police and political figures”.
    Roy said he will raise the issue in the upcoming monsoon session of the Jharkhand Assembly beginning August 1, and also submit a report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
    He also questioned why the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), based in Dhanbad, never issued closure notices for abandoned BCCL mines, and demanded accountability for the sites that remain unsecured despite recurring illegal mining activities.
    Local residents claimed that a closed underground mine in BCCL's Block-2 caved in, trapping around half-a-dozen hired workers linked to an illegal mining syndicate.
    Meanwhile, an eerie silence prevailed at Taratand area in Giridih, from where four workers are missing since the alleged mine collapse incident at Baghmara in Dhanbad.
    Villagers claimed the four — Aziz Ansari alias Charku Ansari, 35, a resident of Kundalwadah village, Afzal Ansari alias Khan Sahab, 35, Dilip Sahab, 32, a resident of Ambabeda village and Jamshed Ansari, 30, a resident of Mathurasingha village — who had left for Baghmara, have not returned so far.
    "All four used to work in mines. The Dhanbad Police did not allow us to go to the site of the incident," a family member of one of the missing workers said.

    Giridih MP C P Choudhary had claimed in a post on X: “Nine people were killed when a mine collapsed during illegal coal mining in Kesargarha of Bagmara, and dozens are feared to be trapped. On receiving the information, I reached the spot and inspected it.
    “I reached Bagmara police station and demanded a full investigation of the incident from the administration as soon as possible, and gave strict instructions that until all the dead bodies are rescued and taken out, we will sit here.”
    On Wednesday, Roy had alleged, "Despite heavy deployment of CISF personnel in the colliery for protection of the national property, coal theft and incidents of illegal mining are continuing unabated, which is a matter of concern."
    "Nine labourers have died due to the collapse of an illegal mine at a place called Jamunia in Baghmara, Dhanbad. Illegal mining mafia is engaged in disposing of dead bodies," he added.
    "There are reports of casualties due to illegal mining in Baghmara area of Dhanbad. Attempts are being made to suppress this whole accident on a large scale," Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo had posted on X.
    BCCL's regional nodal security officer Rajiv Ranjan also stated that no incident had been reported from the closed underground mine in the Block-2 area.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)