Shillong: The Meghalaya government has decided to constitute a Judicial Inquiry Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to investigate the recent mining tragedy in the Mynsngat–Thangsko area of East Jaintia Hills district, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said.
The death toll in the illegal coal mine blast in East Jaintia Hills district rose to 27 on Saturday after two more bodies were recovered from the site, police said.
The bodies were retrieved during an ongoing multi-agency search and rescue operation in the Thangsku area of Umsngat village, where the explosion occurred on Thursday (February 5).
Taking to X, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said, “The Government has decided to constitute a Judicial Inquiry Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to investigate the recent tragic mining incident in Mynsngat – Thangsko area in East Jaintia Hill.”
The Chief Minister said the commission will examine the sequence of events leading to the tragedy, identify lapses and fix responsibility. He said the inquiry would look into whether safety norms were followed and if any illegal mining activity was involved.
The findings are expected to form the basis for legal action and policy measures aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
Search and rescue operations are being carried out by specialised teams, and the bodies of the victims have been recovered from the site over the past several days, officials added.
The state government also announced ex gratia assistance for the families of the deceased and assured all possible support.
ALSO READ: Death toll rises to 27 in East Jaintia Hills illegal coal mine blast; search continues
East Jaintia Hills district has witnessed several mining-related accidents in the past, raising concerns over safety standards and enforcement in the coal mining sector. The government said it is committed to delivering justice to the victims’ families and will take strict action against those found guilty.
