Meghalaya: Judge, Activist Warned of Dangers Days Before Mine Blast

Shillong: In a tragic turn of events that has once again spotlighted the dangers of unregulated mining, at least 18 workers have died after a powerful explosion tore through an allegedly illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, according to multiple reports from official sources and rescue teams.

The explosion that is believed to have been caused by a dynamite blast deep inside a coal shaft in the Mynsyngat, Thangskai area that occurred early on Thursday, prompting urgent search and rescue operations involving the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, and special rescue units. As of now, at least 18 bodies have been recovered, with additional casualties feared as teams continue to comb through the remote mining site. 

This latest disaster comes days after a retired judge and an activist had raised alarm about unsafe and illegal mining practices in the same region, warning authorities of repeated hazards that had already led to fatalities in the weeks prior. In early January, activist Agnes Kharshiing formally appealed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging that earlier incidents, including a December explosion that killed a worker, were being overlooked by police and regulators.

That plea, and a court-appointed panel’s interim report flagging rampant rat-hole mining which is considered as a hazardous technique and banned by the National Green Tribunal in 2014, actually went largely unheeded before this weekend’s blast. 

Meghalaya’s Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma condemned the tragedy and vowed stringent action against those responsible, deploying ministers to oversee relief efforts and ensure accountability. Police have filed a suo motu FIR under various mining and explosives laws as investigators work to trace the mine operators. 

The incident fuels broader concerns over illegal mining in India’s northeast where enforcement of safety and environmental laws has repeatedly fallen short, leaving vulnerable laborers exposed to perilous conditions.

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