JAMTARA: Three women were killed and three to five others trapped as a mound caved in while they were mining white soil in Jharkhand's Jamtara district on Monday, officials said.
The incident happened in the Mirgapahadi area in Narainpur block of the district, Deputy Commissioner Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz said.
Some women from the nearby villages were mining white soil for painting their houses during which a mound caved in, burying them, he said.
Six to eight women got buried as the mound caved in, he added.
"As soon as the information was received, the administration sent a JCB to the spot and started the rescue operation.
Three women were soon taken out and sent to the nearby Jamtara Sadar Hospital where they were declared dead by doctors," the officer told PTI.
The exact information on how many women got buried is not available, he said.
"Search is on for at least three to five women. There is little hope for their survival but the administration is working to save them," he said.
The women, aged between 18 and 40, were from Champapur and other nearby villages, the officer said, adding that they are yet to be identified.
The accident site is situated along the Sahibganj- Govindpur state highway and the soil here is white due to which the villagers use it to paint their houses.
Rescue operations are underway and senior officials of the district are present at the spot, he said. Hundreds of people from nearby villages have also gathered at the accident site.