India mine collapse toll rises to 11

130

NEW DELHI: The toll from a deadly mine collapse in eastern India’s Jharkhand state rose to 11 on Saturday with rescue workers searching for more dead bodies under the rubble.

A massive mound of earth caved in late Thursday at the Lalmatia open cast mine, around 240 miles (390 kilometres) from the state capital Ranchi.

“The search operation at the site hasn’t stopped. We can confirm 11 dead and fear that one or two more dead bodies may still be under the rubble,” Jharkhand police spokesman RK Mallick told AFP after rescuers recovered another body, raising the toll from 10.

“15 or 16 miners had managed to escape the collapsed mine soon after the incident on Thursday with only minor injuries. The tough terrain of the region (remote forest) and dense fog has been a challenge to the rescue work,” he added.

The rescue workers hope to complete their search operation by late Saturday.—APP