By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Two coal miners Phaibiang Tang aged 15 and Bormi Kani aged 19 years suffered serious eye injuries on January 20 during a routine blasting in a coal mine located at Thadmuthlong, a village in Laskein Tehsil in Jaintia Hills District, 16.8km from Jowai town where they were working.
The miners were admitted at the North Eastern Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS). The due were operated upon on January 21.
It is learnt that they were not provided with any protective gear during the mining operations.
While taking up the matter with the NEIGRIHMS authorities, a source said that they have registered a medico-legal case with the police department since it is a case of accident. “In both the patients one eye each are affected. In one patient one eye is not working whereas in the other patient, he seems to have some perception of light. The injuries seem to be of a very serious nature,” said the source.
Informing further, he said that both patients are now out of danger. “Since the injuries were acute we have to conduct surgery on both patients soon after their arrival in the hospital,” said the source adding that the actual position of their eyes will be known later. It is also learnt that the two miners are orphans.