Workers Trapped Under Debris as Jharkhand Mine Highwall Collapses
Workers trapped in massive coal mine wall collapse.
A devastating and sudden collapse of a massive highwall at an opencast coal mine in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district struck terror late Saturday night around 11 pm, engulfing a coal-loading truck under enormous quantities of earth and debris while trapping two experienced workers inside the cab within the operational command area managed by Central Coalfields Limited and falling under the jurisdiction of Urimari Police Station.
The two trapped individuals have been identified as 30-year-old Sunil Yadav and 50-year-old Raju Paswan, both of whom were actively engaged in routine loading duties aboard the heavy vehicle at the moment the exposed vertical face—comprising layers of overburden soil and coal seams known technically as the highwall—unexpectedly gave way, underscoring the inherent dangers and critical importance of maintaining structural integrity in such large-scale mining environments to safeguard lives and machinery.
Emergency rescue operations swung into action almost immediately following reports of the incident, with teams managing to successfully pull one additional worker from the perilous site and rush him to a nearby medical facility for urgent treatment of injuries sustained, even as specialized personnel equipped with heavy machinery continue round-the-clock efforts to locate and extract the remaining duo still believed to be entombed beneath the rubble.
Also Read: Big Fish Eat Little Fish’: Hemant Soren Calls for Indigenous Solidarity Across India
Overnight rescue progress faced severe setbacks due to pitch darkness blanketing the remote mining zone, thick persistent fog drastically reducing visibility, and an impromptu work stoppage initiated by outraged fellow labourers who halted all coal extraction activities across the opencast site in protest, demanding enhanced safety assurances before resuming operations.
Local authorities led by Barkagaon sub-divisional police officer Pawan Kumar oversee the coordinated multi-agency response involving mining experts, disaster management units, and law enforcement, as the tragedy revives longstanding debates over stringent enforcement of safety protocols, regular highwall stability assessments, and overall risk management practices at Central Coalfields Limited projects throughout the coal-rich region.
Also Read: Hemant Soren Chairs INDIA Bloc Meet, Puts Coalition Change Rumours to Rest
