Silchar/ Guwahati, Feb 6 (PTI) The death toll of Assam labourers in the Meghalaya illegal coal mine explosion has increased to six with three more victims from the state identified on Friday, officials said.
A team of senior officials from Cachar district have reached the incident site to oversee rescue operations and coordinate response measures, they added.
An explosion at the mine in East Jaintia Hills district of the adjoining state on Thursday has so far claimed 25 lives, with the authorities launching large-scale search and rescue operations involving multiple agencies.
An official statement from headquarters Silchar said that all six deceased from the state so far are from Cachar district.
Five injured people have been admitted to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital, where they are currently receiving medical care under close supervision, it said, though it was not mentioned from where they hailed.
The statement said senior officials, including Roktim Baruah, additional district commissioner and the CEO of District Disaster Management Authority, have reached the incident site to “oversee operations, coordinate response measures and ensure seamless inter-departmental support”.
“The 1st Battalion, NDRF, has also updated regarding the deployment of its teams to the incident site in Meghalaya, strengthening the overall rescue and response framework,” it added.
The NDRF’s 1st battalion is headquartered at Patgaon on the outskirts of Guwahati.
“The situation is being closely monitored at the highest administrative level, and all necessary support systems including logistics, medical services, communication and coordination, have been activated to ensure timely assistance, accurate information flow and effective response management,” the statement said.
The Assam government had on Thursday announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of the labourers from the state killed in the mine explosion.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the Assam chief secretary is in touch with his Meghalaya counterpart. PTI SSG ACD SSG NN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.