SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, May 10: Former three times Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee claimed that three persons died and several others got trapped during illegal mining in Kapasara mines on Monday.
According to the ex-MLA, three illegal miners died and several are feared trapped as the coal roof caved in on Monday morning (May 9) during illegal mining in Kapasara colliery in Mugma Area of East Coalfield Limited (ECL), around 35 km away from Dhanbad district headquarters.
Though police of the region denied any such incident in the Kapasara colliery, former three times Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee claimed that three died and several were trapped inside mines when the entrance of the roof of the mine caved in during the illegal mining.
“I saw illegal miners carrying away two bodies from the mines and one was lying on the ground. Both the bodies that were carried away belonged to Birbhum (West Bengal) while the third was not identified,” said Arup Chatterjee who entered around 500 metres inside the mines where the incident took place.
Dhanbad SDM Prem Kumar Tiwari on Tuesday morning (May 10) also took detailed information from Arup Chatterjee about the incident. Former Nirsa MLA has also sent a video of the incident to him.
Nirsa police station officer-in-charge, under which Mugma Area of ECL mines falls, Dilip Yadav also reached the mines. After investigation, he said that there was no trace of any mince incident to presume any people have either died or are trapped.
The management of ECL has also given in writing to the Dhanbad district administration that there is no trace of such an incident and the information of the casualty is just a rumour.
However, the local people claimed that the mines caved at the illegal entrance with a loud sound. Like any other day, several people of the Birbhum district of West Bengal were allegedly involved in illegal mining on Monday morning. All of a sudden, the support pillars of the roof collapsed. Those who were mining got trapped inside.
In three months, this is the second incident in Kapasara colliery where people died during illegal mining. On February 2, five people died there.
