At least six coal mine workers died and four injured in a tragic mishap at Ruchayan village under Bhandari sub-division in Wokha district on Thursday, 25th January 2024.

As per witnesses present on the site of the incident reported that a fire broke out at the rat hole mine as a result of gas released from the mine and six of the workers were charred to dead and four others were rushed to a nearby hospital.

According to the Additional Superintendent of Police, Wokha, the fire and explosion that happened at around between 1:00 pm is assumed to had been caused by short circuit as the miners were using rock breakers inside the rat hole mining.

It was reported that the families of the victims were immediately informed whereby the bodies of the deceased were claimed by the family members.

All the deceased labourers were non local hailing from Sonapur under Oriamghat Police Station, Assam.

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A senior police official told Nagaland Tribune that no safety measures and rights of labourers were not implemented, “safety measures like fire extinguishers are also not in place,” added the official.

The official also informed that the owners of the mine did not have approval from any agency.

The families of the six deceased will be given one lakh each as compensation by the owners of the mine, informed sources.

Further inquiry by the Police ascertained that the coal mine was owned by four persons, namely, Moyithung Tungoe, Tsenjamo Mozhui, Akjur Ali and Saiful Ali.

Taking into account the severity of the incident, suo moto case has been registered at Bhandari PS under appropriate sections of the law, the Addl SP informed.