NEW DELHI –
The death toll from landmine collapse in the eastern Indian state of Jakandebur rose to 17, as rescuers continued to search for the bodies of six missing miners.
A huge mound fell on the Larmatian Opencast Mine on Thursday, about 240 miles (390 km) from the state capital Ranchi.
“We have now removed 17 bodies and thought the toll could rise to 23,” Jakand police spokesman RK Mallick told AFP.
“In addition to challenging terrain and foggy weather, the cave area is about 300 meters away and obviously takes time to clear debris and look for immature miners,” he added.
Baleshwar Mahato, a bulldozer operator at the mine site and his son who died in the accident, said mine operators ignored two safety warnings before the crash.
“After the first warning, about 6 pm (Thursday) there was an alarm when a large piece of mud slid down,” Baleshwar told the Indian Express.
“But continuing to work, Kurishwar (his son), then, this tragic raid,” he added.
No immediate explanation for the collapse, but the government has begun to investigate the incident.
Jharkhand is one of India’s richest mines, accounting for about 29% of the country’s coal reserves. However, it is also one of the poorest areas in India and the center of the Maoist insurgency.
Compared with neighboring China, India has maintained a relatively safe record of mining-related accidents, with an average of 1,000 deaths a year.
In 2015, India killed 38 people at 570 mining sites.
The last large-scale mining accident in India occurred in 1975, when 372 workers died after the Chasnala mine flood in Dhanbad.
