Jharkhand coal mine collapse: Eleven bodies recovered, over dozen feared trapped dead

Ranchi: Bodies of at least eleven workers were on Friday recovered a caved-in coal mine whereas dozens are still said to be trapped inside at Paharia Bhodaye in Jharkhand’s Godda district. 

The bodies were recovered during rescue operation that started on Friday morning.

Godda: Latest visuals from the #JharkhandMineCollapse site, Total of 11 bodies recovered. Restoration and rescue ops to resume tomm morning pic.twitter.com/yEhK4P0scd — ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

According to a report, at least 20 persons are said to be still feared trapped dead when an open-cast coal mine collapsed on the night of December 29. 

Police said the incident occurred during the shift change late on Thursday. 

So far, at least eleven bodies have been taken out by the rescue team.

"The rescue operation was launched at 6 am on Friday. Eleven bodies have been taken out so far. We are focusing on saving the people still trapped inside the mine," Godda superintendent of police Hira Lal Chauhan told media. 

However, the chances of survival of all trapped people were minimum, police sources said.

The mining operation, which forms a part of the Eastern Coalfields Limited’s Rajmahal Opencast Project, was outsourced to the Mahalaxmi Company. Sources said work at the mine had resumed barely three days ago.

Godda sub-divisional police officer Abhishek Kumar said an FIR would be lodged against the company, as per 'normal procedure'.