6 missing, 6 killed 32 injured in coal mine accident

     Korba, May 7, 2010: The death toll in the worst ever coal mine disaster in Chhattisgarh in Korea district had gone up to six, where as authorities said at least six members of the rescue team was missing and 32 injured in yesterday incident.

     In total six persons have been killed so far in the air blast in the Anjan hill underground coal mine in Chirmiri area, Chairman Cum Managing Director of the South Eastern Coalfield Limited M P Dikshit said today.

     Besides the death, six members of the rescue team were missing where as 32 affected minors have been admitted to various hospitals in the state, he said.

     Among the killed was one Deputy General Manager S K Goswami and Jagdish, Radheshyam and Anand Mohan Pal, all employees and two contract labourers, the CMD said.

     Out of 32 injured people, 16 have been admitted at Apollo Hospital Bilaspur and Bhilai Hospital looking into their condition, he said.

     The work to take out poisonous gas from the underground mine was in progress when the blast took place, Dikshit said adding no one was allowed to go into the mine on the first shift of yesterday.

     Otherwise the casualty figure would have gone over 500, he said.