Search operation for 3 missing coal miners continues

Search operation for the three missing workers continued for the second day on Thursday at an opencast mine in Talcher Coalfields where a dump slide has claimed the life of a miner and left nine injured.

The coal miners were working on earthmoving machines in Bharatpur mine of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) in Angul district when the accident took place on Tuesday night.

The worker whose body was recovered on Wednesday from the debris of landmass that broke loose after strata collapse was identified as Pupun Biswal (driver) of SICAL company, a contractor, MCL Spokesperson said.

Search operation is on to locate three other workers of SICAL company trapped under the debris. The missing workers are Rashmi Ranjan Behera (supervisor), Ramesh Dash (security guard) and Raj Kishore Mohapatra (pump khalasi), he said.

The NDRF along with Mines Rescue team of MCL are conducting search and rescue operation which was suspended for sometime on Thursday due to heavy downpour, he said.

It has been decided to pay an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, along with full compensation as per Employees Compensation Act, gratuity, Provident Fund, benefits under Coal Mines Pension Scheme and an employment in contractual establishment to a family member, he said.

Nine workers who were injured in the accident were undergoing treatment at the company's hospital in Talcher. An inquiry committee, under the general manager (safety and rescue), has started an investigation to ascertain the cause of strata failure, he said.

The opencast mine has been closed following the dump slide and it will take over a week to resume operations.

Raising the issue in the Assembly on Thursday, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Narasingha Mishra sought to know as to why the state government was silent on the tragedy and not taking any action.

Stating that no amount of compensation to the affected people can fill the loss, Mishra said the police should take action suo motu and arrest those responsible for the mishap.

Activists of BJP staged a demonstration in Talcher on Thursday demanding adequate compensation to the family of the deceased and action against those responsible for the mishap.

Locals had also staged a protest and road blockade in the area on Wednesday alleging that negligence and lack of safety measures had led to the mishap.