Meghalaya rights body seeks report on East Jaintia Hills coal mine blast deaths

Shillong, Jan 7: The Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has sought a detailed report from the State government on the reported deaths of two persons in an explosion at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district, taking suo motu cognisance of media reports.

In a notice issued to the Chief Secretary on Tuesday, the Commission directed the government “to cause an effective enquiry and submit a detailed inquiry report to the Commission within one month.”

The MHRC’s intervention comes amid growing scrutiny over the alleged deaths, which were initially denied by the district police but later drew the attention of the Justice (retd) BP Katakey committee monitoring illegal coal mining in the State.

At least two persons were killed and several others injured in an explosion, suspected to have been caused by dynamite, inside an illegal coal mine at Thangsko village in East Jaintia Hills district on December 23.

One of the miners reportedly died on the day of the explosion, while another miner, identified as Ashok Tamang, succumbed to his injuries at Shillong Civil Hospital on January 1.

Videos circulating on social media and local sources pointed to fatalities and serious injuries, contradicting initial official claims.

Soon after reports of the incident surfaced, the district police dismissed them as “baseless”, denying that any explosion, injuries, or deaths had occurred at the site.

“That’s just a rumour and there is no such incident. We have verified from all local sources, inquiry has been conducted,” Vikash Kumar, Superintendent of Police, East Jaintia Hills, was reported as saying. 

On Monday, the Justice (retd) BP Katakey committee directed the Meghalaya Police to submit a report within two days on the reported deaths linked to illegal coal mining in East Jaintia Hills.

“I have sought a report about the deaths from Meghalaya police this morning. Based on the findings of the report, appropriate action would be taken,” Justice Katakey said.

Justice Katakey, who has been overseeing the State’s compliance with Supreme Court and High Court directions on illegal coal mining, has repeatedly flagged the continued existence of illegal rat-hole mining in the district in several interim reports submitted to the Meghalaya High Court.

The committee has consistently warned that the clandestine nature of such mining operations exposes workers to extreme danger, as illegal coal mines operate without any safety mechanisms, regulatory oversight, or emergency response systems.

Illegal coal mining continues to plague East Jaintia Hills district despite repeated incidents, underscoring concerns over enforcement failures and risks to human life.