Two accused in Meghalaya illegal coal mine blast remanded to 3-day police custody; death toll rises to 25 as hunt continues for third suspect.
Authorities remand two accused in Meghalaya coal mine blast; rescue teams continue operations amid rising death toll of 25 (Photo: Pinterest)
SHILLONG/KHLIEHRIAT: Two persons, believed to be owners of illegal coal mines linked to the deadly blast in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district that has claimed 25 lives so far, were produced before a court here on Friday and remanded to three days of police custody, SP Vikash Kumar said. The accused have been identified as Shamchi War (42) of Sutnga Pohwailong village and Forme Chyrmang (36) of Jalaphet Pyrdung village in the district, he said.
"Hunt is on for a third accused who has also been identified in connection with the case," the East Jaintia Hills SP told PTI. Meanwhile, Justice (retd) BP Katakey visited the Thangskai mining areas on Mynsungut village, 130 km from the state capital, and confirmed that illegal mining was being carried out on a large scale in the locality, officials said.
The death toll in the explosion in an illegal coal mine mounted to 25 on Friday following the recovery of seven more bodies, DGP I Nongrang said. The explosion occurred on Thursday at the mine in the Thangskai area of Umangat village, prompting the authorities to begin large-scale search and rescue operations involving multiple agencies. Eighteen bodies had been found on Thursday. "So far, seven more bodies have been recovered, taking the total number of deaths to 25. Out of these, 12 bodies have been identified," Nongrang told PTI.
