SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 24: Even after 41 hours of the alleged mine collapse mishap, no rescue operation had commenced in the closed underground mines of Bharat Coking Coal Limited’s (BCCL) Block-2 area till 12 noon on Thursday. The incident reportedly involves illegal mining activity.
NDRF and BCCL Teams Unable to Find Entry Point
On Wednesday evening, a joint team comprising the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and BCCL’s rescue unit inspected the area but failed to identify the entrance point where the alleged incident occurred.
Earlier, Block-2 General Manager G.C. Saha also visited the site but returned after no evidence was found to initiate a rescue mission for the suspected trapped individuals.
According to local residents, the mishap took place around 7 p.m. on Tuesday when several people were engaged in illegal mining. However, Dhanbad administration and BCCL officials have categorically denied any such incident, terming the reports as mere rumours.
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No Family Comes Forward with Claims
As of Thursday noon, not a single family has reported a missing member or demanded a rescue operation. So far, only political leaders have pressed for a search effort to locate alleged victims.
Giridih MP Submits List of Alleged Victims
Giridih MP Chandra Prakash Choudhary, who staged a 4.5-hour sit-in at Baghmara police station on Wednesday (from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) demanding NDRF intervention, submitted a list of five persons believed to be trapped inside the mines.
The list included:
- Abdul Ajij (Taratand, Gandey block, Giridih)
- Md Afzal
- Dilip Saw
- Salim Ansari (Jamtara district)
- Jamshed Ansari
Choudhary, accompanied by Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy, visited the alleged site on Wednesday but faced strong protests from locals. He later lodged a complaint against them with the police.
On the assurance of Baghmara SDPO Purushottam Singh that a rescue operation would be initiated, the MP ended his sit-in.
