LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Dhanbad, Feb 18: A nine-year-old boy was burnt badly after he fell in a mine fire hole in Mohribandh of Jharia coalfield of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) under Lodna OP, around 10 KM away from here in the afternoon today.
The boy was admitted to Life Line Hospital Jharia in critical condition. According to doctors, the boy’s lower waist part had burnt badly.
Dilip Sab, the father of the boy ( Shashi), said that his son was playing in front of the house ( declared fire zone) along with other children of the basti when all of the sudden land beneath his feet caved in and he fell into a burning hole. Residents of the Basti rescued him from the hole.
“ Both legs and thighs of Shashi had been badly burnt. We with the help of people got him admitted at a private hospital in Jharia,” said Dilip Sab, a daily wage worker.
Residents of the Basti resented that after the incident neither the officers of BCCL nor police came to the spot to take notice of the victim.
After the incident panic prevails among families living in the basti.
The land belongs to BCCL and over 200 families have been illegally occupying it. The Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) has already declared the Mohribandh area underground mines fire-affected zone.
When contacted, the officer-in-charge of Lodna police Out Post (OP) KK Singh said that no one has informed him about the incident.
Residents said that four years ago a woman had also fallen in a firing hole and died despite that the Jharia Rehabilitation Development Authority (JRDA) meant for shifting of people to a safe place from the Jharia fire zone area has not initiated steps for bailing them out from the dangerous area.
“JRDA officials only conduct a survey of people living in a dangerous area of Jharia and do not provide houses to us,” said a resident of Mohribandh.
