A tragic accident at a coal mine in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district has claimed two lives and left another worker fighting for his. The incident occurred late on Saturday when a high wall collapsed at the Barka Siyal colliery, which is operated by Coal India Limited subsidiary Central Coalfields Limited (CCL).
The Incident and Immediate Aftermath
The collapse happened in the Urimari outsourcing colliery area. Sunil Yadav, a 30-year-old tipper operator, and Raju Paswan, a 50-year-old dump man, lost their lives in the disaster. A third worker was critically injured and rushed to a nearby hospital. The force of the collapse was so severe that two heavy machines were also buried under the debris.
Officials stated that recovery operations were hampered by nightfall and poor visibility. The bodies of the deceased workers were finally recovered on Sunday and sent for post-mortem examination. Barkagaon SDPO Pawan Kumar confirmed that the situation was brought under control by morning, and work at the colliery has since resumed.
Compensation and Worker Protest
In response to the tragedy, the outsourcing company responsible for the site, M/S Ashirbad Real Estate and Transport Ltd, acted swiftly on Sunday. The families of each deceased worker were provided a compensation of Rs 40 lakh. Furthermore, the company offered a job to one family member from each of the two victims' families. Compensation was also paid to the kin of the injured worker.
The accident sparked immediate anger among the workforce. Workers halted coal-loading operations in protest, alleging that inadequate safety measures led to the fatal collapse. Sources indicate that the laborers blamed company officials for negligence. In their initial grief and outrage, they also reportedly prevented the search for the bodies. SDPO Kumar noted that while operations were temporarily disrupted, the situation has now returned to normal.
Safety Concerns and Official Silence
This incident has once again cast a spotlight on the critical issue of safety protocols in India's mining sector. The workers' claims point to a potential failure in implementing necessary safeguards at the colliery site. Despite the serious allegations raised by the workers, officials from CCL were not available for comment on the charges. The lack of an immediate official statement from the public sector mining giant leaves questions about site safety and accountability unanswered.
The tragic event in Hazaribag underscores the persistent risks faced by workers in the mining industry and highlights the urgent need for stringent enforcement of safety regulations to prevent such avoidable loss of life.
