6 killed in coal mine blast in Bengal’s Birbhum

Six people were killed and three injured when explosives kept in a truck went off in a coal mine in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Monday, a police officer said.

The explosion occurred when detonators were being transported in the truck for planned blasts at the Gangaramchak and Gangaramchak-Bhadulia coal mines, an official of the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL) said.

The incident happened around 10.30 am at Bhadulia village in which the captive mine of the WBPDCL is situated.

“Six people were killed and three injured,” Additional Superintendent of Police of Birbhum, Rana Mukherjee, said.

The incident occurred in the dump yard of the coal block, WBPDCL Chairman and Managing Director Punjab Salim told PTI.

“An investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the blast. Those killed in the explosion were workers of the agency deployed for mine operations. Currently, we are providing assistance to affected workers," WBPDCL Chairman and Managing Director Punjab Salim told PTI.

A mine developer and operator (MDO) runs operations at the captive block.

The MDO concerned will provide compensation to the families of the victims, another WBPDCL official said.

Local BJP MLA Anup Saha, who visited the spot, said, “The condition of the injured was stated to be critical. The explosive materials were unloaded from a truck without proper precautions."

The detonator van was gutted in the explosion.

WBPDCL, a company owned by the West Bengal government, has five power plants and its installed capacity stands at 4,265 MW. In the current fiscal, an additional 660 MW thermal capacity is expected to be added.