An unfortunate incident at the South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) Chirmiri open-cast mine in Chhattisgarh’s Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district resulted in injuries to three workers, including two women, on Monday. The explosion occurred around 2 pm to 3 pm as a blasting gang was preparing for a routine operation. Reports indicate the blast happened unexpectedly while the team was moving to a secure location after positioning explosives.
As a consequence of the sudden blast, flying rock fragments caused injuries to the workers and damaged vehicles within the operational area. The injured individuals were immediately transported to the SECL regional hospital in Kurasia, Chirmiri. They are reported to be in stable condition, receiving medical care for minor wounds, and are anticipated to be released shortly.
Initial assessments point towards a potential technical fault as the likely cause of the premature explosion. SECL has launched an internal inquiry to meticulously investigate the incident, examining all possibilities from equipment failure to procedural or human error. The mine has been cordoned off, and operations suspended temporarily while safety protocols are rigorously assessed and reinforced.