Police in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district have arrested two more coal mine owners in connection with the deadly explosion at an illegal coal mine in Thangsko. Among those detained is Process Dkhar, also known as Prakash, a resident of Sutnga and believed to be the main owner of the mine where the blast occurred. The second arrested individual is Tensing Suchiang from Umlawang village.
East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said two previously arrested accused — Forme Chyrmang (36) of Jalaphet Pordung village and Shamehi War (42) of Sutnga Pohwailong village — were sent to 14-day judicial custody by a court on Monday. “We had requested further police custody, but the court remanded both accused to judicial custody,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Manish Kumar confirmed that the death toll from the explosion has climbed to 30 after two more injured workers succumbed to their injuries at Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam.
The district administration has begun disbursing ex-gratia compensation to the families of the deceased. So far, eight families have received financial assistance, while verification of bank details for the remaining beneficiaries is underway to speed up the process.
Authorities have stepped up enforcement operations over the past four days to curb illegal coal mining in the district. As of Monday, 34 FIRs had been registered, and large quantities of coal and mining equipment were seized. Several illegal mining sites have also been shut down.
These actions are being carried out by a District Task Force, with support from multiple departments. Instructions have been issued to the District Transport Office, District Mining Office, and other relevant agencies to take strict measures against unlawful mining activities.
Officials confirmed that a thorough search of the Thangsko mine has been completed. Joint teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Special Rescue Teams (SRT) found no additional workers or bodies inside the mine. The search and rescue operation was officially called off at 5 pm on Monday.
On Tuesday, the District Task Force held a high-level meeting with senior officials, including representatives from the Mining and Transport departments, Additional Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, and senior police officers, to plan further measures aimed at completely halting illegal coal mining in East Jaintia Hills.
The district administration is also considering the use of drones for surveillance. Seized coal will be moved to designated depots for auction, and strict monitoring will be enforced to prevent illegal mining from resuming.
