Calcutta HC seeks report of Bengal government on coal mine blast at Birbhum

Kolkata, Oct 14 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Monday sought a report from the West Bengal government on the blast at a coal mine, owned by a private entity, in Birbhum district on October 7, leaving seven miners dead.

After hearing the matter, the single-judge vacation bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed the state government to submit the report detailing the nature of the blast and who is actually responsible for the incident at the mine, owned by Gangaramchak Mining Private Ltd (GMPL), at Khayrasole in Birbhum.

The state government was also asked to submit the forensic report on the matter, if possible.

The next hearing in the matter will be on November 5 when the state government will have to submit its report to the high court.

The state government has already announced a compensation of Rs 30 lakh for the families of each victim, besides promising state government jobs for one member from each such family.

Investigation so far has suggested handling of the explosives required for the blasts necessary for coal excavation was done in a lackadaisical manner without following the necessary safety measures that resulted in the disaster.

Eyewitnesses said that the bodies of some of the seven miners killed were blown into pieces following the blast.

After the blast in the afternoon of October 7, there was major tension in the area as the local people started protesting, accusing senior officials of the GMPL of vanishing from the spot without taking responsibility for the disaster.

Soon after that public interest litigation was filed before a bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Bivas Pattanayak in the matter. But since the regular benches of the court are not sitting due to the vacation, the vacation bench of Justice Ghosh took up the matter following the direction of the Chief Justice.