Mine Blast in Manendragarh: 3 Injured, Probe Launched

Tragedy struck Chhattisgarh’s Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district on Monday when an explosion rocked an open cast coal mine operated by South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL). Three workers, two of them women, sustained injuries during preparations for a scheduled blasting operation at the Chirmiri mine. The blast, believed to have occurred prematurely between 2 pm and 3 pm, caused debris to injure the workers and damage vehicles. A team of seven to eight workers was reportedly on-site at the time, engaged in placing explosives. Fortunately, the injured individuals were quickly attended to and taken to the Kurasia regional hospital, where their conditions are stable. Officials are investigating the cause of the blast, with preliminary findings pointing towards a potential technical issue. An in-depth probe is examining all possibilities, including equipment failure and human error, to ensure such incidents are avoided in the future. Safety protocols are under review at the affected mine, and operations have been temporarily halted to facilitate these assessments.