Six killed in accidental blast in Birbhum coal mine
The explosion occurred when explosives kept in a truck went off at Gangaramchak and Gangaramchak-Bhadulia Coal Mine in Khoyrasole block under Lokpur police station of Birbhum district
by Shiv Sahay Singh · The Hindu
Six persons were killed and three others sustained injuries in an accidental blast at a coal mine in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Monday.
The explosion occurred when explosives kept in a truck went off at Gangaramchak and Gangaramchak-Bhadulia coal mine in Khoyrasole block under Lokpur police station of Birbhum district.
The coal mine has been allotted to West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL), a power utility operated by the State government. The coal mine was reopened in April 2019.
The persons killed in the explosion were workers deployed for the mine operations by a private operator at the coal mine. The blast occurred in the dump yard of the captive coal mine. The vehicle carrying the explosive was badly mangled in the blast and there were reports of bodies of the workers being badly severed.
The situation in the area adjoining the coal mine remained volatile with locals reportedly preventing the police from removing the bodies of the deceased workers. The police tried to manage the situation and collected the bodies. A forensic team will conduct an investigation into the cause of the blast.
Locals claimed that explosives used for coal extraction were transported in a single truck on Monday, unlike the usual practice of using two trucks.
West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said it was a big loss and the government is trying to help the bereaved families. “Though death cannot be compensated, WBPDCL will provide ₹30 lakh to the kin of deceased and an additional ₹2 lakh from the State government. One member of the family will be provided job as Home Guard,” Mr. Pant said. The Chief Secretary added that six bodies were recovered from the site and out of three injured, two persons remained stable.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari sought an investigation to find out if any laxity led to the blast and fix the responsibility accordingly. Mr. Adhikari pointed out that National Investigation Agency (NIA) is already investigating a case related to 81,000 gelatin sticks and detonators that were recovered from adjacent Mohammad Bazar area of Birbhum district and any connection between the two should also be probed in order to rule out any foul play.
Local BJP MLA Anup Saha, who visited the spot, said that the explosive materials were unloaded from a truck without proper precautions which resulted in the blast .
The WBPDCL has five power plants and its installed capacity stands at 4,265 MW.
Published - October 07, 2024 10:53 pm IST