Many feared trapped as 3 abandoned coal mines collapse in Jharkhand during illegal mining
Dhanbad (PTI): Many people were fear trapped as three abandoned coal mines collapsed during illegal mining in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district, officials said on Tuesday.
The first incident happened at Kapasara outsourcing project of Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) in Nirsa police station area around 5 pm on Monday, they said.
The second incident took place in Chach Victoriya of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) in Nirsa on Monday night, while the third incident happened on Tuesday morning at Gopinathpur open cast mines of the ECL in Panchet police station area, they said.
Rescue operations with heavy machinery are underway at the three mines, officials said.
The incidents happened during illegal mining and only the coal companies can specify the number of people trapped inside, said Superintendent of Police (Dhanbad-Rural) Reeshma Ramesan.
"I can't say the number of casualties and injured. We are verifying the details and would say after getting reports. Our teams have rushed there," she said.
Fearing police action, families of the illegal miners are yet to report to the authorities if there was any person missing, officials said.
Villagers also managed to rescue some of those who could come out of the debris, before the colliery officials or police reached the spot, they said.
An official of the ECL said the incident occurred at abandoned mines and so it falls in the purview of the district administration.
"Within our working mines, there is no such information (of collapse). That might be due to illegal activities in abandoned mines but not in our working mines," he said.
"We are not in a position to tell about the number of villagers trapped," he added.
Three people are feared trapped and five persons injured in In the Gopinathpur mine of the ECL, official sources said. In the Kapasara colliery of ECL, three persons are feared trapped and two persons injured, they said.
Several slippers were found at the entrance gates of the mines, indicating many were trapped.
The BCCL, however, said that it will share the details later.
In Chach Victoriya area of BCCL, three persons were feared trapped in debris after the roof collapsed during illegal mining, official sources said.
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Boards barring non-Hindus at Har ki Pauri come up in Uttarakhand
Haridwar (PTI): Amid demands to declare the Haridwar Kumbh area in Uttarakhand a Hindu zone and restrict entry to non-Hindus at all religious places and Ganga ghats within it, signs reading 'Non-Hindu prohibited area' were put up at Har Ki Pauri on Friday.
The Ganga Sabha, the organisation that manages and maintains Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding ghats, has put up these signs on all entry points to the area, including on bridge railings and pillars.
However, the main bathing ghat of Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding area are already restricted for non-Hindus according to the Haridwar Municipal Act of 1916.
These signs were put up after a video went viral three days ago showing two young men wearing Kandura (traditional Arab attire) roaming in the Har Ki Pauri area. However, it was later revealed that these two young men were Hindus and had come to make a video for their YouTube channel.
The Sabha has demanded that all religious places, temples, and Ganga ghats in the entire Haridwar Kumbh area be restricted for non-Hindus before the 'Ardh Kumbh' next year, a demand that the Uttarakhand government is also seriously considering.
Following the Kandura incident, the Sabha had also appealed to officials of government departments, other organisations, and media houses not to appoint their non-Hindu employees in this area. They stated that this was necessary to maintain the sanctity and purity of the area.
Regarding the installation of the new signs, Ganga Sabha president Nitin Gautam told PTI, "According to the Haridwar Municipal Bylaws of 1916, the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area is completely prohibited. This sign has been put up to inform everyone about this bylaw."
He said that this step has been taken to publicly share information about the law and traditions, so that the sanctity of the pilgrimage site is maintained and no confusion or controversy arises.
Haridwar Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar also stated that the 1916 bylaws prohibit the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area.
