From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: A twenty-six-year-old youth was killed on the spot while nine others including a seven-year-old boy sustained injures, some of them critically, when a well-made crude bomb exploded in a coal mine at a place called Umrasong near Byndihati village under Khliehriat Sub-Division on Thursday.
The bomb blast incident occurred at 2 am on Thursday when the labourers were sleeping inside their camps. The deceased, Pintu Das, of Hilara Colony village of Kalain, Assam died on the spot.
The injured, all residents of Assam and working as labourers, were admitted at the Khliehriat CHC while two critically injured were rushed to the Jowai Civil Hospital. A seven-year-old child, Rajiv, was critically injured on his left leg. Two more were admitted at a hospital in Silchar, Assam.
According to Rotish, one of the injured labourers, the bomb was planted by unknown person(s) near the labour camp.
“There are five labour camps close to each other in the mining site and occupied by more than 30 labourers,” Rotish informed.
According to Police, the coal mine belongs to one Niwel Lyngdoh of Deinchynrum village.
Earlier the coal mine was owned by Khliehriat MLA Nehlang Lyngdoh, who had gifted the mine to Niwel. “As per records and information collected there is no dispute with regards to the coal mine”, a police officer said, adding, “We suspect enmity out of jealousy and rivalry among the mines supervisors in the area.”
According to Police, the bomb was a powerful one fitted with electronic gelatin sticks.
“The explosion was so powerful that the Sordar, who was present there, was hurled 7 feet in the air but he miraculously escaped unhurt,” said one of the labourers, adding that a bag containing 50 kg of cement kept near the explosion site was also hurled about 15 feet away.”
Khliehriat Police have recovered iron pieces used as splinters in the crude bomb and also a live plastic electrical wire that was used to explode the bomb.