Efforts were underway to rescue more workers feared trapped, the police said.
At least 16 workers were killed in a suspected dynamite blast at an allegedly unauthorised coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday, an official told Scroll.
One person with burn injuries had been sent to Shillong for treatment, East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar told Scroll.
“We are unable to tell the exact number of workers trapped inside because of smoke and fire,” Vikash Kumar said.
The National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force “are trying to rescue them”, he said, adding that the workers are “locals and non-locals”.
