Bhopal, Feb 17 (IANS): In a tragic accident in Dhangawan village of Budhar Police station area in Shahdol district, a labour couple lost their lives when an "illegal coal mine" caved in.

The incident occurred on the banks of the Son River on Sunday evening.

However, the police have dismissed the claims of it being an illegal coal mine.

Sanjay Jaiswal, the Budhar police station in-charge, clarified over the phone with IANS that the terrain is rich with coal, and villagers often extract it themselves. He emphasised that it wasn't a mine per se, but rather a soil that caved in while the couple was extracting coal from an approximately ten-feet-deep pit at the river bank, entrapping them in the debris.

Other people were present, but they fled when they couldn't rescue the couple, the official said. Villagers noticed the trapped individuals and informed the police. The victims have been identified as Omkar Yadav and Parvati Yadav, and their bodies were sent for post-mortem at the government hospital in Budhar, Shahdol district.

State Congress unit president Jeetu Patwari criticised the government on social media through his X handle accusing them of emboldening the mafia through inaction. He tweeted in Hindi about the incident, expressing his outrage.

The deceased couple is survived by five young children, as reports suggest, that more labourers might be trapped in the debris, with allegations that mine owners attempted to suppress the incident.

The reports also said when villagers raised an uproar, the incident came to light, prompting the Collector and Superintendent of Police to reach the scene. Both bodies were retrieved with the aid of an earthmoving machine, working late into the night.

However, police sources assured IANS that no other persons are trapped, and a proper investigation is underway.