Meghalaya govt orders judicial inquiry into illegal coal mine blast that claimed 27 lives

Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday announced a judicial inquiry into the blast at the illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district that claimed the lives of 27 people.

The explosion happened last week at the illegal mine in the remote Thangsku area in Mynsngat village.

"The Government has decided to constitute a Judicial Inquiry Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to investigate the recent tragic mining incident in Mynsngat - Thangsko area in East Jaintia Hills," Sangma said in a post on X.

The blast had triggered a massive search and rescue operation, involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, district administration and local volunteers. The operation continued for days before all the bodies were recovered.

A senior officer of the Home Department said the judicial inquiry would examine the circumstances leading to the incident, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such tragedies in future.

Rat-hole mining in Meghalaya was prohibited by the National Green Tribunal in 2014 due to environmental concerns. Despite the ban, instances of illegal coal extraction continue to be reported from various districts.