A serious incident at the Chirmiri open cast coal mine in Chhattisgarh’s Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district on Monday afternoon led to three workers sustaining injuries. The explosion took place while a team was preparing for a routine blasting operation. A group of seven to eight workers, including two women, were reportedly placing explosives when the blast occurred prematurely. Flying rock fragments impacted workers and equipment in the immediate vicinity. The injured were immediately attended to and taken to the SECL regional hospital in Kurasia. They are currently in stable condition and receiving medical treatment for minor wounds. An investigation has been initiated to pinpoint the cause, with speculation around a technical fault. The mine’s safety protocols are under review, and operations have been temporarily suspended.
