Overview
- A coal pit collapsed in Asansol, West Bengal, on January 13, with five people initially trapped, according to local reports.
- BJP MLA Ajay Poddar said two people were rescued and three bodies were recovered, attributing the incident to rathole extraction.
- Police said rescue operations were underway using heavy machinery as the situation remained fluid.
- Bharat Coking Coal Ltd clarified the location does not belong to the company and indicated it appears to involve illegal mining.
- The collapse has renewed scrutiny of persistent safety lapses and unregulated mining practices that have driven repeated mining tragedies in India.