India, Feb. 11 -- Meghalaya saw one of its worst mining disasters when a dynamite explosion took place in an illegal rat hole mine in Thangkso area of East Jaintia Hills district on the morning of February 5. The blast ignited a fire which trapped the miners working in adjacent pits. As of February 10, 30 bodies have been recovered while nine people were injured. While the identity of all the victims has not been confirmed yet, the district administration shared that the deceased miners were from Meghalaya, Assam and Nepal.

Reacting to the incident, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who also holds the mining portfolio, shared in a post on social media: "Profoundly saddened by the tragic coal mine incident in East Jaintia Hills. My ...