THANGSKO MINING TRAGEDY
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 7: As the death toll from the Thangsko illegal mine blast climbed to a staggering 27 on Saturday, a belated state-wide crackdown has begun to dismantle the very “rat-hole” empire that authorities have struggled—or refused—to see for years.
The recovery of two more bodies on Saturday follows Thursday’s powerful dynamite explosion at Mynsyngat, in the Thangsko area of East Jaintia Hills. The incident, which also left nine people injured, has once again exposed the lethal reality of the “blood coal” economy operating despite a long-standing NGT-mandated ban.
Police on Saturday took two accused coal mine owners currently in custody—Forme Chyrmang (36) and Shamehi War (42)—to the blast site for a “reconstruction of the crime scene,” a process that forced the owners to identify the exact pits where the tragedy occurred.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar confirmed that 11 detonators and used wiring were recovered from the site. Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) teams have completed their examination of the scene.
While the SP described the arrest of outsiders with explosives at Umpleng Bazaar as “ironic,” the seizure of 63 detonators from individuals from Tripura and Assam highlights a well-established supply chain feeding the illegal mining industry. Critics argue these explosives do not arrive by chance but are procured by local mine owners to bypass safety regulations.
Efforts are now under way to arrest five absconding individuals, including mine owners and managers. “We have identified all five absconders. If they are not arrested by Sunday, we will seek Non-Bailable Warrants of Arrest (NBWA) on Monday. If that fails, proclamation proceedings and attachment of property will follow,” Kumar said.
A suo motu FIR has been registered at Khliehriat police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, and the Explosive Substances Act.
The tragedy has triggered a massive, reactive operation across the district. Joint teams of magistrates, police, and mining officials are currently dismantling labour camps and seizing coal dumps. So far, approximately 3,500 metric tonnes of coal have been seized and 25 cases registered—a number expected to double as the drive continues.
“We are destroying these labour camps and asking people to leave. There will be no scope for illegal mining anymore,” the SP stated, noting that additional armed personnel and officers have been deployed for the “no-holds-barred” operation.
However, for the families of the 27 dead, this sudden display of administrative muscle comes too late, serving as a grim reminder that in the Jaintia coal belt, the ban often exists only on paper.
