SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 16: Two persons died and more than 10 are feared trapped in the mines during illegal mining in Kapasara colliery of Mugma Area under Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL), around 35 km here.
The incident occurred on Sunday late at night. The deceased are Yamuna Rajvanshi (37) and Tapas Das (20). Kapasara Basti residents have kept the body of Yamuna Rajvanshi in their possession.
At the time of filing the report (11:30 am), no officials of Mugma Colliery Area management and Nirsa police under which the incident site falls had reached the spot. The officials neither confirmed the incident nor rescue operation for tapped people was launched till 11:30 am on Monday.
Mobile phones of Mugma Area general manager of ECL Srianand and Nirsa police station officer-in-charge Dilip Kumar Yadav were found switched off.
Kapasara Basti residents said that the incident occurred between 1:30 am to 1:40 am. In the evening, 20 to 25 people entered the mines through the tunnel for illegal mining. Except for two (Yamuna Rajvanshi and Tapas Das), all trapped persons were reportedly outsiders.
The syndicate of illegal mining managed to take away the body of Tapas Das but the Basti residents took the body of Yamuna Rajvanshi and kept it at his house.
Yamuna Rajvanshi is said to be a resident of Nabada district of Bihar and had been living in Kapasara Basti near colliery. His family members were informed in Bihar on the morning of Monday.
On September 27, three people allegedly died during illegal mining in the same area but local administration and colliery management did not confirm the incident.
Mugma BJP local leader Pradip Bauri and former Panchayat chief Lakhi Devi confirmed the incident and held the Mugma Colliery Area management responsible.
