Six miners were killed while working in a remote coalmine in Meghalaya on Thursday evening after a machine malfunctioned, according to a statement issued by the police.

Five of the victims were from Assam, four from Karimganj and one from Cachar district. One of the deceased is yet to be identified. The bodies were recovered on Friday.

The mine is located in East Jaintia Hills district’s Sorkari Dienshalu area, over 12km from the district headquarters.

The police said prima facie it seems that a “machine at the mining area had malfunctioned, which may have unfortunately led to the untimely demise of the six persons”. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem likely to be completed by Saturday afternoon.

When asked whether the mine was an active or an abandoned one, an official said that there were no traces of coal at the site.

Another official said they could have been involved in coal or stone mining.

The last major mine mishap in the district had claimed the lives of 15 miners in 2018.