Shillong, Feb 11: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the reported death of 18 workers in a blast at an illegal coal mine in the Thangskai area of East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya, on February 5.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commission said media reports indicated that several other workers may still be trapped at unspecified depths inside the mine.

Observing that the contents of the report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of the human rights of the victims, the NHRC has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Meghalaya. The Commission has sought a detailed report within two weeks.

The report is expected to cover the status of rescue operations, compensation provided to the families of the deceased, progress of the police investigation, and steps taken or proposed to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has also taken suo motu cognisance of the incident. The Tribunal is expected to examine environmental violations and compliance issues linked to illegal coal mining operations in the region.

The blast has once again brought the spotlight on the continued prevalence of illegal coal mining in East Jaintia Hills, despite regulatory and judicial interventions over the years.

Also Read: Meghalaya DGP Idashisha Nongrang gets 6-month service extension in public interest

Also Watch

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub

Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub