Bodies of three workers were recovered from a flooded illegal coal mine in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh, 13 days after being swept in by a swollen river. The tragedy highlights ongoing illegal mining risks in the region and renewed demands for compensation and stricter government intervention.
Thirteen days after they were swept away into a flooded illegal coal mine, the bodies of three workers were finally recovered late Monday night in the Keredari block of Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district. Officials confirmed the deceased as Pramod Shah (45), Umesh Kumar (25), and Naushad Ansari (24), all residents of Kandaber village under the Keredari police station area.
The tragedy struck on May 21 when sudden and heavy rainfall caused the Khawa River to overflow. Villagers reported that the strong currents of the swollen river forced the three men into one of the many illegal coal mine shafts that riddle the region. These tunnels, often operated under the control of local coal mafias, remain active despite their dangerous and unregulated conditions.
The mine shaft, more than 100 feet deep, flooded rapidly due to the river overflow, making any immediate rescue effort nearly impossible. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) launched a three-day search operation to recover the trapped men but had to suspend activities due to severe waterlogging.
Subsequently, the responsibility of dewatering the shaft was taken over by NTPC and a private firm. After days of relentless pumping, the water level finally dropped to a manageable level. It was then that local villagers managed to enter the shaft and recover the bodies late Monday night.
The next morning, the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribagh. Following the autopsy, the remains were brought back to Kandaber village, where they were cremated later that afternoon.
The tragic event plunged the village into deep mourning. Grief-stricken relatives and neighbors gathered around the bodies, with scenes of emotional turmoil and wailing marking their return to the community. The incident has once again exposed the grim realities of illegal mining operations and the human cost associated with them.
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Local villagers have renewed their demand for government intervention, seeking compensation and the provision of a job to one dependent family member of each deceased worker. Activists and community leaders have also criticized the government’s lack of oversight in curbing illegal coal mining in the Khawa river belt, an area that has seen repeated accidents over the years.
Despite the tragedy, illegal coal mining continues largely unchecked in the region. The lure of employment and income draws hundreds of locals into these hazardous operations, making them susceptible to exploitation and putting their lives at constant risk.
This latest incident has reignited the debate around the enforcement of mining regulations and the need for sustainable livelihood alternatives for the region’s impoverished population.
