India
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ECL seals Khandra Colliery after July 28 cracks
The Hindu··1 Sept
Eastern Coalfields Limited has begun sealing Khandra Colliery in the Raniganj belt. Officials said on August 31 that cracks near Nikanth Temple were first seen on July 28. ECL said unauthorised structures blocked filling work and raised air-ingress risks. It called the sealing a preventive safety step. Water and power to quarters continue, and no seal duration is fixed.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Residents in ECL quarters keep existing water and electricity during sealing work.
- Mine workers are to be shifted to another unit or neighbouring mines for now.
- ECL rejected three-month seal reports and said duration depends on expert advice.
What's Happening
- Sealing followed surface cracks and subsidence reported near Nikanth Temple.
- ECL linked the risk to air entering underground workings and possible spontaneous heating.
- Manpower will be redeployed based on operational needs while monitoring continues.
Raniganj's Subsidence Record
- Raniganj is among India's oldest large coal belts, with a long accident history.
- In May 2026, one worker died and others were injured in a Jamuria mine landslide.
- Past ground subsidence has cracked homes and emptied some villages in the belt.
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