At least 18 people were killed, and several labourers were feared trapped after an explosion occurred in a suspected ‘illegal’ coal mine at a village in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday (February 5, 2026), police said.
The East Jaintia Hills district police confirmed the recovery of 18 bodies from the mine. They further added that the people died after an explosion inside the mine that trapped them.
The police have sought assistance from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to carry out rescue operations at the site. “The SDRF team are yet to come,” Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said.
