Body Recovered From Water-Filled Abandoned Coal Shaft in Meghalaya

Overview

• Police and the State Disaster Response Force recovered an unidentified body from a flooded, long-abandoned coal shaft in Moolait Bri Sumer village in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya.
• Local residents reported a corpse floating in the pit, prompting a difficult retrieval because of the shaft’s depth and heavy waterlogging.
• Police sent the body for post-mortem to establish identity and cause of death, with a formal investigation now underway.
• Superintendent of Police Pankaj Kumar Rasgania said the shaft and nearby pits were inactive, with no illegal coal extraction at this location.
• The discovery follows recent mining-linked deaths in the district, including a February blast that killed about 30 people and drew fresh scrutiny from the Meghalaya High Court.