DHANBAD: A clay rock cave-in killed three people, including a minor, and injured two others at Bastacolla colliery area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited near here.
Police said five people were initially trapped when the rock caved in at around 5 pm Sunday.
After two hours of rescue operations, two persons were found dead while the injured were admitted to Patliputra Medical College Hospital, where a woman succumbed to her injuries.
Deputy superintendent of police, Sindri range, Pramod Kesri, who monitored the rescue operations, identified the deceased as Manto Baski (14), Lalita Devi (25) and Mangoli Devi (20), residents of villages of Tundi block.
Tribal villagers use white clay to paint the walls of their houses, and residents of faraway villages visit Bastacolla to procure it.
Senior officials of the police, CISF and BCCL reached the spot on hearing the news and launched the rescue operation.
PC Yadav, officer in-charge of Dhanudih outpost, which the area falls under, held the BCCL management responsible for the accident.
He told media persons that the police had given several reminders to the BCCL to demolish the rock but the management had not done so.