East Jaintia Hills District Administration has seized approximately 6,904 metric tonnes of illegally mined coal from 21 locations across the district as authorities intensified enforcement against unlawful extraction in the wake of the deadly mine explosion at Mynsngat in the Thangsko area. The large-scale crackdown, undertaken amid heightened safety concerns, comes as part of sustained efforts to curb illegal coal mining following the tragedy that has so far claimed 27 lives. Five enforcement teams comprising Executive Magistrates, police personnel and officials of the Directorate of Mineral Resources were deputed to carry out coordinated operations across vulnerable pockets of the district.
During the drives, around 3,197 MT of coal were seized from nine locations under Umlawang, while another 351 MT were recovered from four locations under Umthe. In a similar drive conducted on February 6, about 3,356 MT of coal were seized from eight locations along the Sakhain–Thangsko road along with tools and equipment, and makeshift camps linked to illegal mining activities were identified and destroyed. FIRs have been registered and further legal action is underway, while a prohibitory order under Section 163 BNSS has been issued to ensure public safety and facilitate ongoing operations. “The public is urged to cooperate with authorities, refrain from illegal mining and avoid visiting hazardous or restricted mining areas,” the district administration said, adding, “This is to the inform the public that search and rescue operations are continuing following the mine explosion at Mynsngat, Thangsko area,” with teams from the NDRF, SDRF, Special Rescue Team, police and district administration engaged in the operation, during which two additional bodies were recovered on Saturday, taking the death toll to 27, with operations set to resume tomorrow morning to ensure complete coverage.
