Jharkhand: 3 die after van plunges into open cast mine

Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Sep 5 (PTI) At least three people died after a van carrying workers plunged 150 feet into the water accumulated at the bottom of an open cast mine in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Friday, an official said.

The incident took place after a landslide occurred in the open cast mine in BCCL Area-4 in Ramkanali police station area. Several houses and some temporary structures near the mine also collapsed.

"Three bodies have been found so far by local divers deployed to rescue those who were in the van. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has arrived at the incident site and it will start its operation on Saturday morning," Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan told PTI.

He said the exact number of people who were in the van is yet be ascertained, and it could be known only after the rescue operation was complete.

A senior police officer had earlier said, "A service van, carrying four to five persons, was parked at an opencast mine. Due to a sudden landslide, the van plunged into the water accumulated at the bottom of the mine." Jharkhand BJP chief and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Babulal Marandi, expressed grief over the incident and demanded a probe into it.

He said the untimely death of the workers at the Ambe mining outsourcing site under the BCCL Katras area in Dhanbad was "deeply saddening".

"@CoalIndiaHQ should conduct a high-level investigation into the entire matter, take strict action against those responsible, and ensure robust safety measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future. Additionally, provide appropriate compensation to the affected families and arrange employment for their dependents," Marandi posted on X. PTI SAN SAN ACD