At least 6 people died and as many injured when dynamite being unloaded from a truck went off blowing up the vehicle. The accident occurred at Gangaramchak Mining Private Limited colliery, located near Badulia in Birbhum district.
Some sources put the toll to seven or eight as some bodies had been hurriedly transported by the management, villagers said. “Six bodies have been recovered. One is severely injured, his condition is serious, and two are out of danger,” Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Pant said.
The truck full of explosives was being unloaded when things exploded tearing the bodies of the labourers unloading truck into smithereens, sources said adding the body of the driver of the truck was found about 500 feet away. The intensity of the blast was such that the bodies of the victims had to be identified by their clothes.
Alleging illegal mining in the area the locals said that they are not allowed to come near the open cast coalmine.
The police rushed to the area upon hearing about the incident and started rescue work, Bolpur ASP Rana Mukherjee said. “We found six bodies, three people were injured who are undergoing treatment in the hospital,” the ASP said adding the Government had announced jobs to the next of kin of those killed in the explosion. The company would also give compensation to the family of those killed and those injured, he said.
