Shillong, Feb 9: Police have informed the Justice (retd) BP Katakey committee on coal that a viral video purporting to show a fire at an illegal coal mine was actually from a Ladrymbai market.
East Jaintia Hills has been in the news for all the wrong reasons when it comes to illegal mining, even before last week’s deadly explosion in Thangsko that has claimed at least 27 lives.
Katakey had drawn the attention of police to a viral video and sought an inquiry. In their reply, police said that the video was of a fire in Ladrymbai’s Dongwah market on December 27, Katakey said in the committee’s 35th interim report, which was submitted on January 27.
Other incidents that the committee raised were all too real, however. One was the death of Ashok Tamang on New Year’s Day. In a dying declaration he said he had been injured in a mine explosion in Thangsko on December 23. However, the authorities and villagers claimed that there was no such incident at the place. There is no doubt that some explosion did take place in the district, as Tamang was first taken to Sutnga (which is not far from Thangsko) for treatment before being moved to Shillong where he died.
Another person, Mosaid Ali, died due to “severe crush injuries” in another incident on January 14 in Umthe.
Katakey recommended that the police actively pursue justice in these cases in order to send a clear message to those responsible for illegal coal mining that such activities will not be tolerated.
