Three Injured in Premature Blast at SECL Coal Mine in MCB

Three workers, two of them women, sustained injuries following a blast at the Chirmiri open-cast coal mine in Chhattisgarh’s Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur (MCB) district on Monday. The incident occurred at a South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) facility as workers were undertaking preparatory work for a blasting operation. Reports suggest that the explosion happened unexpectedly while a team was laying charges on the coal seam. The blast caused an airborne dispersal of rock fragments, leading to injuries among the workers and damage to vehicles. The injured have been taken to the Kurasia hospital, affiliated with SECL, and are described as being in a stable condition with no life-threatening injuries. They are expected to recover fully and be released from the hospital shortly. An investigation has been initiated to pinpoint the cause, with initial findings suggesting a possible technical issue. The company’s safety department and district officials are collaborating on the probe. All operations at the mine have been temporarily suspended to facilitate safety checks and prevent recurrence of such unfortunate incidents. The mine is situated in the MCB district, approximately 300 km from Raipur.