SHILLONG : The death toll in the illegal coal mine blast in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district has risen to 25, following the recovery of seven more bodies from the accident site on Friday.
The tragic explosion occurred at an illegal coal mine in Thangsku village under Umsngat, triggering an extensive search and rescue operation involving multiple agencies. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Special Rescue Team (SRT) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed and are continuing operations at the site.
Director General of Police I Nongrang informed that 12 of the recovered bodies have been identified so far, while efforts are underway to identify the remaining victims.
“Rescue operations are still ongoing, and all possible measures are being taken to recover any remaining victims and complete the identification process at the earliest,” she said.
Medical teams and ambulances have been stationed near the site to provide immediate assistance. Meanwhile, the Army and Air Force have been kept on standby to support the ongoing operation if required.
The district administration, along with the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), is closely monitoring the situation as rescue efforts continue amid challenging conditions.