The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed sadness over loss of lives in a coal mine accident in Jharkhand. “Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers are with those trapped inside. Spoke to CM Raghubar Das on the situation. Jharkhand Government & Minister Piyush Goyal are working to restore normalcy. NDRF has been engaged for rescue & relief operations”, the Prime Minister said.
CMD, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) has reported that a total of 9 bodies of workmen have been recovered from the accident site so far. The company has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs each to the family of the deceased, in addition to the amount to be paid under the Workmen’s Compensation Act. All the necessary help to the families of the deceased is being extended by ECL. Two persons have met with injuries and treated in the Area Hospital. One of them has been sent to Durgapur for further treatment.
Senior management of ECL and State Government officials have been supervising the rescue operations since yesterday evening. Till 2P.M. today, all 10 excavators and dump trucks have been extracted. NDRF Team has also been engaged for rescue and relief operations.
Prima facie, it is observed that the incidence is unprecedented, since an area of 300 m length by 110 m wide solid floor of the Over Burden dump area has slid down by about 35 m involving around 9.5 million cubic meters of earth material. This could be due to failure of the bench edge along the hidden fault line/slip.
An Inquiry has been ordered in the incident by the Director General of Mines Safety and a High Level Committee of Experts has been constituted by Coal India Limited to investigate into the causes of the accident.
A control room has been set up at the project office of Rajmahal Open Cast Expansion Project of ECL and Shri R.R. Amitabh, GM, Mining is in charge of control room and his contact no. is 9771447171.