Overview
- An unauthorised coal-mine tunnel in Keshalpur Kumharpatti, Katras, caved in around 7 a.m. on Sunday, trapping people who had entered to cut and collect coal.
- Labour-union leader Vimalesh Chaubey and local reports say three people were confirmed dead and three injured survivors were taken to a nearby nursing home.
- Neighbours led immediate rescue work with shovels and pickaxes and continued searches as fears grew that more people remained buried under the debris.
- Police have reached the site, opened an inquiry, and are monitoring rescue operations while official counts of missing people have not yet been released.
- Illegal small-scale underground mining and local smuggling networks that move coal to nearby markets by motorcycle are common in Dhanbad, creating a persistent safety and enforcement problem for communities.