The Calcutta High Court has allowed a PIL seeking NIA investigations in the Birbhum coal mines blast case yesterday. The hearing will take place on 14 October.

Advocate Anindya Sundar Das has filed a case on behalf of one Dipak Kumar Sarkar. Anup Saha, BJP MLA of Dubrajpur, who was present during the rescue operations have also demanded a NIA investigation.

Advertisement

It is learnt that the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Justice T S Sivagnanam has given his nod to file the PIL.

The additional police superintendent (ASP) of Bolpur, Rana Mukherjee has claimed that the blast occurred during transportation of the explosives into the coal mines.

However, though 24 hours have passed, still the cause of the massive explosion is not clear. The impact of the blast was so severe that it was difficult to identify the victims.

DM of Birbhum Bidhan Roy and SP Raj Sekhar Mukherjee visited the houses of the deceased coal miners last evening.

The SP also visited and inspected the coal mines today morning.

Seeing that so many local people are visiting the place of occurrence, the SP directed Lokpur police station to cordon off the area and post more police forces and stop entry of locals in the site.

Forensic and explosives experts of CID will visit the coal mine today to collect the blast samples from the spot for testing.

The state chief secretary had announced a compensation of total Rs 32 lakh for the bereaved families and a job for the next of the kin of the decease.

Director general of mines safety (DGMS) Dhanbad will also probe the blast in the Bhadulia coal mines in Khoyrasole in Birbhum, sources said.

The union coal ministry has allocated the Gangaram Chak- Bhadulia Coal Mines in Birbhum district to West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDL) in 2015 for coal supply in its captive thermal power plants.

Of the three injured, the conditions of two are stable, doctors from Suri Sadar Hospital stated. The third coal miner is in critical condition and has undergone a surgery.

So far Lokpur Police has identified six charred bodies while two others are yet to be identified. DNA samples from the body parts seized from the ground have been collected and will be sent to Durgapur for DNA test and matching from Suri Sadar Hospital, sources said.