Hazaribagh: Thirteen days after being trapped underground, the bodies of three workers have been recovered from a flooded illegal coal mine in the Keredari block of Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The victims were identified as Pramod Shah (45), Umesh Kumar (25), and Naushad Ansari (24), all residents of Kandaber village under Keredari police station limits.
The three men were reportedly swept into the mine on May 21 when heavy rains caused the Khawa River to overflow. According to villagers, the rising water currents pushed them into one of the many illegal mining tunnels in the area—many of which are operated by coal mafias and continue to function without safety measures.
The mine, which is more than 100 feet deep, quickly flooded, making rescue operations extremely difficult. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) launched a three-day search but had to suspend efforts due to excessive waterlogging.
Subsequently, NTPC and a private company undertook the task of draining the mine. After several days of nonstop pumping, the water levels dropped enough to allow recovery. Local villagers found the bodies late Monday night.
On Tuesday, police sent the remains for post-mortem at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribagh. After the autopsy, the bodies were returned to their village and cremated the same afternoon.
The tragedy has left the village in mourning. As news of the recovery spread, grieving families and neighbours gathered in large numbers, many in tears as the bodies arrived.
Following the incident, villagers renewed their demand for compensation and government jobs for one family member of each deceased worker.
Despite repeated accidents and warnings, illegal coal mining continues unchecked in the Khawa river belt of Keredari, where many locals, desperate for income, take on dangerous work under exploitative conditions.
With inputs from IANS