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Meghalaya coal mine blast: Death toll surges to 27, search & rescue operations ongoing
Rescue teams continue searching narrow, water-logged tunnels after a banned rat-hole mine blast killed 27 miners; two accused owners arrested, officials said.
- On Saturday, February 07, 2026, authorities said the death toll from a dynamite blast at a Thangsku-area mine reached 22 as rescue efforts continued.
- Amid a longstanding ban, Justice BP Katakey's committee report last month found East Jaintia Hills heavily affected by rat-hole mining with more than 22,000 illegal openings.
- NDRF and state teams said water, dripping mud and falling rocks hampered searches in five vertical pits about 100 feet deep with narrow 2x3 ft rat-holes, where bodies were found around 350 feet in.
- Authorities arrested Forme Chyrmang and Shamehi War, filed FIRs, and the Meghalaya High Court summoned officials for February 9, while PMO announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia.
- Several people are still missing and searches will continue over the weekend at the remote site 25 km from district headquarters, Justice BP Katakey noted warnings went unheeded.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Meghalaya Coal Mine Blast Death Toll Climbs To 27 As Rescue Operations Continue
Tragedy deepens in East Jaintia Hills as two more bodies are recovered from the site of an explosion in an illegal coal mine, with ongoing search efforts and renewed calls for action against unregulated mining.
The Independent
The Independent (US)At least 27 killed in blast at illegal ‘rat hole’ coal mine in India
Several trapped after blast rips through coal mine in Meghalaya
Meghalaya Coal Mine Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to 25 as Rescue Efforts Continue in East Jaintia Hills (Watch Video) | 📰 LatestLY
The death toll from a massive explosion at an illegal rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills has risen to 25, officials confirmed Friday. The blast occurred on February 5 in the remote Thangskai area, triggered by high-intensity dynamite used for unauthorized extraction. 📰 Meghalaya Coal Mine Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to 25 as Rescue Efforts Continue in East Jaintia Hills (Watch Video).
Meghalaya coal mine blast: Search on for missing people at the site
The explosion occurred on February 5, 2026 at the mine in the Thangsku area of Umsngat village, prompting authorities to begin large-scale search and rescue operations involving multiple agencies, the police said
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