The bodies on nine workers have been recovered and another 23 are missing following the collapse of a wall during active excavation at an open cast coal mine at Rajmahal in Jharkhand State, India, on Thursday 29 December 2016. A further four miners have been pulled out of the debris alive, one of whom is described as being in a serious condition. The incident is reported to have happened at about 8.30 pm local time, during a shift change at the pit, when a wall of soil and rock collapsed onto workers and vehicles inside the mine area.
A partially buried vehicle following the 29 December 2016 Rajmahal mine collapse. Press Trust of India.
The incident happened at the Latmatia Mine, which is operated by Eastern Coalfields Ltd, however the rescue operation is being led by Coal India, in coordination with local police, workers from the National Disaster Management Authority, and a specialist mine rescue team sent by the National Disaster Response Force from Patna. An investigation into the incident is being led by a team sent by the Director General of Mines Safety.
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