At least three people were killed and 10 others were feared trapped after a coal mine collapsed during illegal extraction in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district, officials said on Friday.
Police suspect that the incident took place when coal was being illegally extracted from Narayankuri colliery of the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in Egra gram panchayat in Raniganj police station area, around 18 km from Asansol.
The deceased were identified as Dinesh Ruidas (38), Sumir Bauri (17) and Surajit Sen (21), all residents of nearby areas, a police officer said, adding search operations for the remaining people are underway.
"Around 25-30 people illegally entered the mine on Wednesday afternoon. The mine caved in an hour later. While some managed to come out of it, others got trapped inside," the officer told PTI.
ECL has launched an investigation into the incident.
A team led by Sitarampur Director General of Mines Safety Region 1 Irfan Ahmed Ansari visited the spot.
"This is a legal mine but the incident took place when coal was being extracted illegally. Three people have died and several others are feared trapped," he said.
Another ECL official said that some people had illegally entered a tunnel at the Narayankuri mine where entry of even company miners is prohibited as automatic 'high wall mining' is conducted.
High wall mining is a generic term used for the mining of coal from the final high wall of an opencast mine. It is a hybrid method of opencast and underground method, and is remotely operated from a cabin at the surface.
Meanwhile, the incident triggered a political slugfest with opposition parties blaming the ruling dispensation for laxity, while the TMC questioned the role of ECL and CISF.
Senior BJP leader and Asansol Dakshin MLA Agnimitra Paul reached the spot on Wednesday night and staged a dharna.
She questioned the role of both ECL and police and allegedly entered into an altercation with the forces deployed at the spot.
Later, she led BJP workers to stage a blockade on National Highway 19 (previously NH 2) at Raniganj.
BJP activists again staged a dharna in front of Raniganj police station on Thursday demanding Rs 5 lakh as compensation for the next of kin of the three deceased.
TMC MP Santanu Sen said, "The coal ministry is under the Centre. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is responsible for security of coal mines. So, it is for the BJP to answer how illegal mining is taking place."
The BJP, on the other hand, alleged that rampant illegal coal mining is happening in Asansol area "under the patronage of the TMC".
"It (illegal coal mining) is happening because of patronage of TMC leaders and a section of the administration," BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty, meanwhile, alleged laxity by security agencies of both the state and the Centre.
He said that despite the mine belonging to ECL, security was not tight enough to keep out trespassers.
"Security agencies of neither the Centre nor the state are vigilant to check illegal coal mining in Raniganj coal belt and it is because of this, the unfortunate incident took place," he told PTI.
The CPI(M) leader alleged that people's lives were put in danger as security agencies were not keeping proper vigil.
