Tuesday became panicky in the Katras area of Dhanbad when toxic fumes started pouring out of an underground coal mine that burst into fire. The accident happened in the Angarpathra region of Maa Ambe outsourcing facility of BCCL, an allegedly leaking mine shaft spewed smoke and harmful gases into the surrounding residential areas.
As the inhabitants of the area explain, the underground blaze began early in the morning, and a few minutes later, we saw thick black smoke through the cracks in the ground. The fumes soon spread to the neighbouring villages and caused fear amongst the people. Most of the families, particularly families with children and the elderly, ran out of their homes as the air grew progressively harder to breathe.
The burning eyes, coughing, dizziness, and shortness of breath were reported by the people of the village as the suffocating fumes. Some of the locals claimed that this was not a single case and that it was because of a previous underground fire in old coal seams that it was always dangerous. People were enraged because of what they termed as laxity by coal officials when they said that the unsafe and poorly capped mine was a concrete danger to their lives.
The authorities of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) arrived at the scene very quickly and started working on the leakage. It was said that the old mine that had been shut down several years ago still had some traces of methane and other inflammable gases. It was probable that the gases trapped got an opening and would be in contact with oxygen, which ignited the fire. Fire-control teams have also commenced closing the openings and keeping an eye on the extent of the underground fire.
When the situation worsened, local administration and health officials were put on guard. Doctors and nurses have been advised to help anybody who is suffering respiratory distress or any other health complication resulting from the toxic fumes. The officials have also encouraged the citizens to stay indoors as much as they can and not to expose themselves to the smoke until the leak has been contained.
This sparked off a new debate on safety in the greater Jharia coal belt, where underground fires have been raging for decades. There are still numerous villages that are still dangerously located too near unstable and inflammable mining areas despite the many warnings issued by experts.
The villagers have insisted on short-term relief programs, long-term security guarantees, and settlement arrangements for the concerned families. With the officials trying to manage the underground fire, people are still in a state of panic, awaiting a lasting solution to a problem that has bedevilled Dhanbad over the years.
