RANCHI: Four people were killed due to a toxic gas leak in an abandoned coal mine in Chapri-Bumri area under the Ramgarh forest zone. The incident occured when a few people descended into the closed mine to extract coal.
Deputy Superintendent of Ramgarh Sadar Hospital, Dr. Harendra Kumar Mahto, has confirmed the deaths of all four individuals.
According to reports, the individuals had entered the abandoned mine with an intention to extract coal, during which, but were exposed to the toxic gas leaking inside. According to an eyewitness, one man entered the mine first and collapsed due to a suspected gas leak. In an attempt to rescue him, three others descended into the mine one after another and also lost consciousness, he said. Another companion then raised an alarm.
As locals got to know about the incident, they gathered at the site.
Police and CCL (Central Coalfields Limited) teams were informed, following which rescue operation was started. Four people were rescued to rushed to the hospital; two were declared brought dead, while the other two passed away during treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Deva Kumar Bedia and W Bedia, Ashish Rajwar and Kishore Ravani, belonging to the nearby villages.
Local police also asserted that prima facie, it appears that all the four died due to oxygen deficiency inside the mine. All four bodies were recovered from the mine and sent for postmortem examination, they said.
Deputy Superintendent of Ramgarh Sadar Hospital, informed that the police and locals had brought the four individuals for treatment.
“Two were brought dead, while the other two died during medical care, bringing the total death toll to four. A team of doctors has been constituted to conduct the post-mortem examinations,” said Dr Harendra Kumar Mahto.
General manager of Central Coalfields Limited's (CCL) Argada area, Satyajit Kumar, however, told that the site, where the incident has taken place, is outside the command area of CCL.
Notably, several abandoned mines are located in the vicinity of Bumri Giddi in the Ramgarh forest area, where reports of illegal excavation have surfaced repeatedly over the years.
Despite repeated warnings from the administration urging people to stay away from abandoned mines and refrain from illegal mining, many continue to risk their lives by engaging in unauthorized coal extraction.