Three dead in gas leak in illegal coal mine in Muli, Surendranagar

Surendranagar: Three men died from asphyxiation on Saturday while digging in an illegal coal mine in Bhet village of Muli taluka. The incident occurred when a toxic gas leak happened in a 100-foot deep pit on government wasteland. None of the deceased were wearing safety gear such as helmets or gas masks, the police said on Sunday.

The deceased, identified as Laxman Koli (35), Viram Koli (35), and Khoda Koli (32), were hired by illegal miners for a daily wage of Rs 700. All were residents of Muli taluka.

This is yet another case of death in illegal coal mines; earlier, eight people have succumbed to choking in similar incidents this year.

The father of the deceased Laxman Koli filed a complaint at Muli police station against Jasa Keraliya, Janak Aniyariya, Khimji Sardiya, and Kalpesh Parmar for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The complaint alleged that Laxman and others had been working in the coal mine for the past 15 days without any safety equipment. Despite the government’s closure of the mine, the accused continued to dig and sell the coal for financial gain. DeshGujarat