A 28-year-old youth of Gansadih locality of Kenduadih Police station sustained 80 per cent burn injuries after falling into a crater that suddenly developed in the mine patch of a private coal excavator UCC infra, working on behalf of BCCL on Sunday morning.

The incident took place at around 5am when Umesh Paswan was going to relieve himself but fell into a crater. Local residents somehow brought him out of the crater but his body sustained more than 80 per cent burn injuries and was first admitted to Patliputra Medical College and Hospital from where he was referred to Bokaro General Hospital.

Meanwhile, local residents expressed their anger for the incident and held the BCCL management responsible for the incident and alleged flouting of norms responsible for the incident.

Shiv Kumar, another resident of Ganasadih said, “I was going towards Kenduadih when I suddenly saw him falling into a crater and tried to bring him out but failed and then another youth of our locality also came and both of us brought him out but his body was badly burnt in the incident.”

Contacted, Binod Oraon officer in charge of Kenduadih Police station confirmed the incident and said that he is undergoing treatment at Bokaro General Hospital.

Earlier a similar incident took place on December 18 when Kalyani Devi, wife of a daily wage earner, a resident of Bastacola in Jharia was buried alive in a crater on December 18, 2020 in Industry colliery area of Dhanbad.

On May 24, 2017 in a similar incident, Babul Khan and his 13-year-old son Rahim Khan were buried alive in a crater that developed on Jharia Dhanbad road near Surrant locality.

Though, rescue operation continued after the incident for several days and even National Disaster Response Force team was pressed into service but the bodies of the duo could not be recovered.