Shillong: The toll from the coal mine explosion in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district has risen to 30 after two injured workers died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Assam, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Ramchandra Baishnab and Nimaruddin, were residents of Katigorah in Assam’s Cachar district.
They were among the nine injured miners shifted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) following the February 5 blast.
Health department officials said the two succumbed to their injuries on Monday night, taking the number of victims from Assam to at least eight, all from Cachar district.
The explosion occurred at an illegally operated coal mine in the remote Thangsku area of Mynsngat village in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills, triggering a large-scale rescue and medical response across state borders.
In the aftermath, the Meghalaya government has ordered a judicial inquiry to determine the cause of the blast and fix accountability.
The Assam government has also announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each for the families of deceased workers from the state.
