<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">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.&nbsp; 
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The incident occurred on the banks of the Son River on Sunday evening.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">However, the police have dismissed the claims of it being an illegal coal mine.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">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.<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">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.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">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.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">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.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">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.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">However, police sources assured IANS that no other persons are trapped, and a proper investigation is underway.<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&mdash;IANS

The couple has been identified as Omkar Yadav & Parvati Yadav (File Photo)

The police stated that villagers use to extract coal, but it wasn't coal mine, rather a soil caved in

Couple Dies Tragically in Illegal Coal Mine: Shahdol

The police stated that villagers use to extract coal, but it wasn't coal mine, rather a soil caved in

February 17, 2025 | 16:00 IST