Shillong, February 9 Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced on Monday the formation of a judicial inquiry into the blast at the illegal coal mine in the East Jaintia Hills district, which claimed the lives of 27 people.
The explosion occurred last week at the illegal mine in the remote Thangsku area in the Mynsngat village.
"The government has decided to establish a Judicial Inquiry Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to investigate the recent tragic mining incident in Mynsngat-Thangsko area in East Jaintia Hills," Sangma said in a post on X.
The blast triggered a massive search and rescue operation, involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, district administration, and local volunteers. The operation continued for days before all the bodies were recovered.
A senior officer from the Home Department said that the judicial inquiry would examine the circumstances leading to the incident, determine responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Rat-hole mining in Meghalaya was prohibited by the National Green Tribunal in 2014 due to environmental concerns. Despite the ban, instances of illegal coal extraction continue to be reported from various districts.