At least six people lost their lives and several others sustained injuries in a coal mine explosion in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Monday, as reported by police. In response to the tragedy, the state government has announced compensation of ₹30 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹2 lakh for the injured. “Six bodies have been recovered. One person is critically injured, while two others are out of danger. A family member of each deceased will also be offered a job,” stated West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Pant.
The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL) confirmed that the explosion occurred around 10:30 AM in the Bhadulia block, leading to five fatalities. The blast happened during the transportation of detonators intended for scheduled detonations at the Gangaramchak and Gangaramchak-Bhadulia coal mines.
The incident took place in the dump yard of the coal block. WBPDCL Chairman and Managing Director P.B. Salim announced that an investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the explosion. The deceased were workers from the agency responsible for mine operations, and support is being extended to affected workers.
Operations at the captive block are managed by a mine developer and operator (MDO). WBPDCL, a government-owned company, currently operates five power plants with a total installed capacity of 4,265 MW and is expected to add another 660 MW thermal capacity within the current fiscal year.
