Shillong: At least four people were killed and one seriously injured in a dynamite blast at an illegal coal mine in a remote area of Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday, officials said.
According to report by a news agency, the explosion occurred at an illegal coal mining site in the Mynsngat Thankso area.
Following the incident, teams comprising bomb disposal squads, forensic experts, the State Disaster Response Force and personnel from the Fire and Emergency Service rushed to the spot to assess the situation.
East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar confirmed that the blast was caused by dynamite used at the illegal mine.
“Four bodies have been retrieved from the remote coal mine area. One person with burn injuries has been shifted to Shillong for treatment,” Kumar was quoted as saying.
Officials said the mining activity was being carried out on a hill, which collapsed following the explosion, adding, "It is feared that some miners who were working at the site may still be trapped under the debris."
The incident follows a similar explosion reported from Thangsko village in East Jaintia Hills on December 23, 2025, in which at least two coal miners died and several others were injured. One miner died on the day of the blast, while another, identified as Ashok Tamang, succumbed to injuries at Shillong Civil Hospital on January 1.
In April 2014, the National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole coal mining, citing its illegal and unscientific nature, environmental damage and the loss of lives.
Justice (retired) Brojendra Prasad Katakey, appointed by the Meghalaya High Court to monitor coal-related issues, has stated that illegal coal mining and transportation continue in the state despite assurances from the government.