NONGPOH, April 11: In an incident that exposes the rampant illegal mining and transportation of coal in the state, a truck carrying illegally-mined coal fell into a gorge near Umling on Tuesday morning.
According to eyewitnesses, the truck (ML07 B 9154) was using a route from West Khasi Hills via Umrit to Umling to evade police checking and was apparently overspeeding when it fell into the gorge.
The incident was reported by villagers who rushed to the spot and helped shift the injured driver of the truck to the hospital for treatment.
Ri-Bhoi Superintendent of Police, Giri Prasad said that a case will be taken up as per relevant sections of law for illegal transportation of coal.
This incident has once again highlighted the issue of illegal coal mining and transportation in the state and also raises questions on the effectiveness of measures taken by the government to curb this menace.
