Shillong, Jan 7: Bodies of two miners were recovered from an illegal coal mine located at a remote village in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, police said on Monday.

The bodies were recovered late on Saturday from the coal mine in Jaliyah village, a few kilometers away from the district headquarters of Khliehriat, they added.

"Acting on a missing person complaint lodged by Philip Bareh on Friday, the police conducted a search in the village and recovered the body of Elad Bareh. The body was found near the entrance of the coal mine," Superintendent of Police (SP) of East Jaintia Hills district Sylvester Nongtynger told PTI.

On searching a little deeper, another body was found, the SP said, adding that the deceased was identified as M Basumatary.

The bodies were recovered almost a month after 15 miners were reported trapped in another illegal coal mine located about 40 km away at Khloo-Ryngksan, highlighting that illegal coal mining continued despite the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban on unsafe mining since 2014.

A preliminary probe revealed that the two miners had died after boulders hit them while extracting coal, the SP said, adding that the police were trying to trace the owner of the mine.

He also said eight persons were arrested from different locations for allegedly violating the NGT ban on mining.

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New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting Sunday evening with senior ministers to review to take stock of petroleum, power, and fertiliser sectors in view of the evolving West Asia situation, sources have said.

The focus of the meeting is to ensure uninterrupted supply, stable logistics and efficient distribution across the country, and the government is taking proactive steps to this end, they said.

Continuous monitoring of global developments to protect consumer and industry interests is the key focus of the government, they said.

On March 12, Modi said that the war in West Asia has triggered a worldwide energy crisis, posing a critical test of national character that requires dealing with circumstances through peace, patience, and increased public awareness.

The prime minister emphasised that his government is working relentlessly to address disruptions that have emerged in international supply chains.

"Continuous efforts are also underway to determine how we can overcome the disruptions that have occurred in the supply chain," Modi said.

The prime minister has spoken to many global leaders since the West Asia conflict started on February 28, with the US and Israel attacking Iran.

Iran has retaliated by attacking Israel and several of its Gulf neighbours.

Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which 20 per cent of the world's energy is transported. Since the conflict, very few ships have been allowed by Iran to cross it.

The blockade has resulted in severe disruptions in energy supply to many countries, including India.

Since the conflict, Modi has had telephonic conversations with leaders from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, France, Malaysia, Israel and Iran.