Meghalaya rights body orders probe into coal mine deaths in East Jaintia Hills

The Meghalaya Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of two deaths at an illegal coal mining site in Thangsko village, East Jaintia Hills District, and directed police to submit a comprehensive inquiry report.

The commission issued a notice to the District Superintendent of Police following media reports about a suspected dynamite blast at the mine on December 23, 2025. Secretary L. Ch Marak confirmed the body had initiated the investigation on its own accord after the incident appeared in local newspapers.

The explosion claimed two lives and left several others injured. One victim, suspected to be a Bangladeshi national, died on the day of the blast. The second victim, Ashok Tamang, died from his injuries on January 1 whilst undergoing treatment in the surgical ward at Shillong Civil Hospital.

The commission's intervention comes amid allegations that the mining site operates illegally, with multiple owners reportedly employing workers from Bangladesh. 

Authorities fear that injured survivors, believed to be Bangladeshi nationals, may have already been sent back across the border before proper investigation could take place. The commission has set a deadline for police to complete their inquiry and submit findings.