Two more bodies were recovered on Saturday from an illegal rat-hole coal mine in East Jaintia Hills, where a blast occurred on February 5, taking the death toll to 27. Rescue operations by agencies including the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force are ongoing. Several workers remain missing and are feared trapped in deep, maze-like tunnels. Most victims were from Assam, Meghalaya, and Nepal.
Police have arrested additional suspects after securing custody of two mine owners—Forme Chyrmang and Shamehi War—and shut down other illegal mines, seizing machinery and explosives.
The incident has triggered sharp criticism of the Meghalaya government for failing to enforce the 2014 ban on rat-hole mining imposed by the National Green Tribunal and upheld by the Supreme Court of India. The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) and the Indian National Congress have demanded a central probe, political accountability, strict enforcement of the ban, and compensation for victims’ families.
