Shillong, Feb 7: The death toll from the illegal coal mine explosion in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district rose further on Friday after one of the injured workers undergoing treatment at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, succumbed to his injuries.
NEIGRIHMS Medical Superintendent Prof (Dr) Suvamoy Chakraborty confirmed that the victim, identified as Nar Bahadur, died at around 2.55 pm despite intensive medical intervention. He said the hospital had received nine injured workers following the blast, with the last patient brought in shortly after midnight. Despite sustained efforts by the medical team, Nar Bahadur could not be saved.
Hospital authorities said eight other injured workers remain under treatment, several of them in critical condition. Two patients, Raju Tamang and Jamil Ahmed, have suffered severe burn injuries covering nearly 70 to 75 per cent of their bodies and are currently on ventilatory support in the Critical Care Unit. Their condition continues to be described as critical.
Two more injured workers, Dev Malakar and Lalit Magar, who sustained around 50 per cent burn injuries, are being treated in the medical ICU. Doctors said their condition is serious but stable, with signs of response to ongoing treatment.
The remaining four injured — Bam Bahadur, Dawa Sherpa, Kaurna Mangal and Shanky Shila — have been admitted to an isolated ENT ward due to the shortage of ICU beds. Bam Bahadur has sustained approximately 50 per cent burns, Dawa Sherpa between 60 and 70 per cent, Shanky Shila about 60 per cent, while Kaurna Mangal has comparatively lower burn injuries estimated at 25 to 30 per cent.
Prof Chakraborty said a specialised team comprising burn and plastic surgeons along with critical care specialists is continuously monitoring all patients. He added that every possible medical measure is being taken to stabilise the injured and improve their chances of survival.
The injured were evacuated to NEIGRIHMS following the explosion and fire at the illegal coal mine, an incident that has already claimed multiple lives and triggered large-scale rescue operations, official investigations and renewed scrutiny of unlawful mining activities in the district.
