Daijiworld Media Network - Asansol

Asansol, Jan 14: At least three people were killed and two others rescued after a coal mine collapsed in West Bengal’s Asansol on Tuesday morning, trapping five individuals under debris, sources said.

BJP MLA Ajay Poddar said the incident occurred around 7.45 am when a rathole mine caved in while the victims were illegally extracting coal. “Out of the five people trapped, two were rescued safely. One body was retrieved initially, and two more bodies were recovered in front of me,” Poddar told.

Alleging a deep-rooted nexus, the MLA claimed that such incidents have become common across West Bengal due to the involvement of the coal mafia. “This is a syndicate. Central forces, police and the mafia are involved. It is the villagers who die. This is prevalent across Bengal,” he alleged.

Rescue operations were carried out at the site to retrieve those trapped beneath the debris. Further details regarding official action and investigation are awaited.

Meanwhile, a similar incident had occurred earlier on November 15, 2025, in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district, where a stone mine collapse left around 15 people trapped. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) conducted an intensive rescue operation over three days.

Sonbhadra Superintendent of Police Abhishek Verma said seven bodies were recovered during the operation, which was later called off after authorities confirmed that no one else was trapped. “We are calling off the rescue operation after 100 per cent verification. Seven dead bodies have been recovered. This was a very difficult operation as the boulder was very large. A separate pathway had to be created,” he said.