SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 26: A man was buried alive as land caved in Rajpura open cast mines in Mugma Area of Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) under Galfurwadi police station, around 38 km away from Dhanbad district headquarters on Thursday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Vishnu Paswan (32), a resident of Kalimati Dhowra. He was a daily wage worker of Maithon Ceramic Limited.
Family members and villagers said the incident occurred in the morning. Vishnu Paswan had gone nearby open cast mines area for attending to the call of nature. As he sat land caved in and he sank deep underground. Villagers at their own level dragged out him from the hole but he had already succumbed.
Sources said due to illegal mining land caved in open cast mines.
Galfarwadi police station officer-in-charge Sanjay Oraon said villagers had taken away the body from the spot before police reached there. “The probe has been started. Police would also inquire from authorities of Mugma Colliery Area how illegal mining was being done in open cast mines, which triggered the tragedy,” he said.
Though village sources said that Paswan had gone for illegal mining of coal when the land caved in, the coal officer of the area did not confirm. “ The management has already declared the area dangerous and put up a signboard in this regard,” said an officer of Mugma Collieria Area.
In one month this is the second incident in Dhanbad when a man was buried alive in the colliery area. Last month on July 18 Umesh Paswan had been buried alive when the land caved in while he was attending the call of nature in Ghansadih Basti of Jharia fire area under Kenduadih police station.