Shillong — The Meghalaya government has asked the East Jaintia Hills district administration to urgently verify unconfirmed reports that three coal labourers were buried alive following a rat-hole mine collapse at Thangsko village.
Deputy Chief Minister (Home) Prestone Tynsong told reporters on Monday that the government has not received any official information confirming the deaths of the three individuals allegedly trapped underground.
“We’re not getting any report now. I’ve already directed our East Jaintia Hills District Administration to find out whether it’s true or not. But till now, we are yet to get any clue on that,” Tynsong said.
The statement comes amid renewed allegations by the state BJP of ongoing illegal coal mining in Meghalaya. Tynsong assured that the government remains proactive and responds immediately to any tip-offs.
“We are always on the job of checking wherever we get information about illegal mining. It is an ongoing process, and we are trying our best to ensure that illegal mining does not take place,” he said.
He admitted, however, that monitoring illegal mining is challenging due to difficult terrain. “Some places have no approach roads. You have to walk five to six hours deep into gorges,” he explained.
Despite these constraints, Tynsong said the government has directed district authorities to intensify vigilance and prevent any illegal operations. “We have instructed the district administrations to be more proactive to make sure illegal mining does not happen,” he added.
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