Two workers were killed and seven others injured after a section of the roof collapsed inside an underground coal mine operated by South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district, police said.
The accident occurred around 3.30 am at Bangwar underground coal mine in SECL’s Sohagpur area when workers were engaged in constructing a stopping wall, Dhanpuri police station house officer (SHO) Khem Singh Pendro said.
The deceased were identified as Ballu Kol and Golu Baiga. The matter has been handed over to the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) for investigation, an official said.
Rescue teams entered the mine and brought out the injured workers. They were taken to the Central Hospital in Budhar, Shahdol.
A safety barrier was being constructed in the underground coal mine to control ventilation, prevent the spread of hazardous gases, and seal off abandoned or worked-out sections.
The Jabalpur team of the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) will investigate the accident, visiting the site on Saturday to conduct an inspection and determine the cause of the accident.
