Dhanbad, September 8
All 50 miners trapped in a coal mine in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district after an explosion on Wednesday have died, Deputy Commissioner Bela Rajesh said here today.

The bodies of 45 miners were taken out of the mine at Bhatdih, while the five remaining ones were later found by rescuers.

Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) Director (Technical) D.K. Basu said the deaths occurred when the miners inhaled poisonous gas in the mine after the explosion.

As many as 25 of the bodies have been handed over to the next of kin, BCCL CMD Partho S Bhattacharya said. “BCCL has started distributing compensation and letters of employment to the next of kin of the dead miners,” he added.

“Extensive arrangements have been made for providing relief and other support to the affected families.”

Union Coal Minister Shibu Soren, who visited the site yesterday, has announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh for each of the families of the dead workers and a job for their next of kin.

Mr Soren also ordered a departmental inquiry into the accident. — PTI