Toll in Jharkhand mines mishap rises to 5, many still feared trapped

The death toll in the mines collapse in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district rose to five as one more body was recovered, with many people still feared trapped inside, police said on Wednesday.

The government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the mishap at the Gopinathpur abandoned mines of Eastern Coalfield Ltd (ECL) in Nirsa police station area during illegal mining by locals, they said.

The SIT will be headed by Superintendent of Police (Dhanbad-Rural) Reeshma Ramesan, they added.

Sanjiv Kumar, the Senior Superintendent of Police (Dhanbad), said authorities found no signs of any collapse at the Kapasara mines of ECL and Chach Victoriya project of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL).

"The incident occurred only at the Gopinathpur mines of ECL where five bodies have been retrieved from the debris. All five bodies -- four women and a man -- have been identified," he said.

At least 24 persons have died due to mishaps during illegal mining at ECL's mines in Nirsa in the last four years, officials said.

The district administration has sought mines safety audit report of ECL, a subsidiary of PSU Coal India, from Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), SSP Kumar said.

An ECL official they have filed a complaint at Nirsa police station against unknown people over illegal mining.

Unauthorised entry to abandoned mines is prohibited and security has been sought from the administration, he said.

BJP's Nirsa MLA Aparna Sengupta demanded that a murder case be lodged against the ECL officials for the loss of lives.

Hitting out at the Hemant Soren government, she said that such incidents have increased during the present regime.

Former Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee of Marxists Coordination Committee (MCC) claimed that at least a dozen villagers have lost their lives in the incident.

"Illegal coal mining is being done at such a large scale for the first time in Nirsa area collieries of ECL. Without the involvement of ECL management, CISF and local police, such large-scale illegal coal mining is not possible," he alleged.

Former Chief Minister Raghubar Das demanded compensation and jobs for the kin of those killed.