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At least 18 people died on Thursday after an explosion tore through an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya, northeastern India, officials said.
Local police confirmed that 18 bodies were recovered during rescue operations, while eight others sustained injuries, according to Manish Kumar, a senior official in East Jaintia Hills district, where the blast occurred.
Rescue teams continued digging through the rubble to check for more trapped miners, but operations paused at sundown. Authorities plan to resume on Friday with support from state and federal disaster management agencies.
The explosion occurred in an “illegal rat-hole mine,” a type of mining that uses narrow vertical shafts branching into tunnels to extract coal. Despite being banned by a federal environmental court in 2014 for environmental pollution and safety risks, rat-hole mining remains common in East Jaintia Hills.
District police chief Vikash Kumar said the blast was likely caused by dynamite, with toxic gas and fire compounding the danger. Forensic investigations are ongoing.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma ordered a “comprehensive inquiry” and vowed accountability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow, offered condolences, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Families of the victims will receive 200,000 rupees ($2,216) in compensation.
