Meghalaya orders judicial probe into deadly blast at illegal coal mine

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday announced a judicial inquiry into a deadly explosion at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district that claimed the lives of 27 people.

The blast occurred last week at a clandestine mining site in the remote Thangsku area of Mynsngat village, triggering widespread outrage and concern over the continued operation of illegal mines in the state.

Announcing the decision in a post on social media platform X, Sangma said the state government would constitute a Judicial Inquiry Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to investigate the incident. “The Government has decided to constitute a Judicial Inquiry Commission to investigate the recent tragic mining incident in the Mynsngat–Thangsku area in East Jaintia Hills,” he said.

The explosion led to an extensive search and rescue operation involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, district authorities and local volunteers. The operation continued for several days in difficult terrain before all the bodies were eventually recovered.

According to a senior Home Department official, the judicial inquiry will look into the circumstances that led to the blast, identify lapses and fix accountability. The panel will also be tasked with recommending measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Coal mining through the hazardous practice of rat-hole mining was banned in Meghalaya by the National Green Tribunal in 2014 due to serious environmental and safety concerns. However, illegal coal extraction continues to be reported from several parts of the state, often operating in remote areas beyond regular oversight.

The latest tragedy has once again highlighted the risks posed by unauthorised mining activities and renewed calls for stricter enforcement of the ban and stronger safety mechanisms.

With PTI input