6 killed in coal mine blast in Bengal's Birbhum

At least six people were killed and three others injured when explosives kept in a truck went off in a coal mine in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Monday, a police officer said.

The explosion occurred when detonators were being transported in the truck for planned blasts at the Gangaramchak and Gangaramchak-Bhadulia coal mines, an official of the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL) said.

The family of each of the deceased would receive a compensation of Rs 32 lakh -- Rs 30 lakh to be provided by the agency operating the mine and Rs 2 lakh by the state government, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said.

The state administration would also offer a home guard's job to the family of each victim.

The incident happened around 10.30 am in Bhadulia village in which the captive mine of the WBPDCL is situated.

"Six people were killed and three others were injured," Additional Superintendent of Police of Birbhum, Rana Mukherjee, said.

The incident occurred in the dump yard of the coal block, WBPDCL Chairman and Managing Director P B Salim told PTI.

"An investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the blast. Those killed in the explosion were workers of the agency deployed for mine operations. Currently, we are providing assistance to affected workers," WBPDCL Chairman and Managing Director P B Salim told PTI.

A mine developer and operator (MDO) runs operations at the captive block.

Speaking to reporters at the state secretariat, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant announced that those killed in the mishap would be getting a compensation of Rs 30 lakh.

"Today there was a very sad incident that happened in Birbhum. There was an explosion in which six people were killed and three injured. The bodies of six persons were recovered. Three were seriously injured. He is still serious as per the latest report from the local administration while the two are out of danger," Pant said.

The bureaucrat said that each of the families of those deceased would be compensated with Rs 30 lakh according to the rules of the MDO and WBPDCL.

He also said that the state government would pay the family of each deceased a compensation of Rs two lakh as it does in case of such accidental deaths.

One member each from the deceased people's family would also be offered the job of a home guard, the chief secretary added.

Local Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Anup Saha, who visited the spot, said, "The condition of the injured was stated to be critical. The explosive materials were unloaded from a truck without proper precautions."

The detonator van was gutted in the explosion.

WBPDCL, a company owned by the West Bengal government, has five power plants and its installed capacity stands at 4,265 MW. In the current fiscal, an additional 660 MW thermal capacity is expected to be added.