Dhanbad (Jharkhand), April 1 The bodies of three family members were recovered on Wednesday, a day after their house collapsed during a suspected land subsidence in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand, a police officer said.
Two houses had collapsed in Tandabadi Basti, under the Sonardih police station limits, on Tuesday evening, the officer said.
While three people were inside one of the houses at the time of the incident, no one was present in the other, he added.
Baghmara Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Purushottam Singh said, "All three bodies were trapped under the debris. They were retrieved during a rescue operation and sent for post-mortem examination."
The deceased have been identified as a 70-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman, and a 17-year-old girl, although their exact familial relationship is yet to be ascertained, officials said.
Baghmara MLA Shatrughan Mahto, who visited the site on Tuesday evening, claimed that at least four houses had collapsed due to the land subsidence.
He alleged that illegal mining is rampant in the area, which could have contributed to the incident.
Dhanbad Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar, however, said that the land caved in due to rain, and there was no illegal mining in the area.
Meanwhile, Dhanbad Deputy Development Commissioner Sunny Raj held an online review meeting with officials over the situation at the affected site.
Raj directed officials to ensure adequate arrangements for all basic amenities, including food and water, for the affected families.
He further instructed officials to continuously monitor relief, security, and other essential arrangements at the site and submit a detailed report on the overall situation, according to an official release.
He also stated that compensation will be provided to the affected families by the state government.
A team from the district administration and Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), which visited the site, was confronted by angry locals demanding action against those responsible for the incident. An official of the district administration, however, said the situation is under control.