Three die of asphyxiation at illegal coal mine in Gujarat

Three labourers died of asphyxiation at an illegal coal mine in Gujarat's Surendranagar district, police said on Sunday. A case has been registered against four persons for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and efforts are on to apprehend them, an official said.

The victims, Lakshman Dabhi (35), Khodabhai Makwana (32) and Viram Keraliya (35), were digging at a mine near Bhet village in Thangadh taluka of the district when they died of asphyxiation on Saturday, the official from Muli Muli police station said.

The trio did not have helmets, masks or other safety equipment when they were working for the accused, he said.

As per the first information report (FIR), the accused did not provide helmets or other safety equipment to the deceased while employing them to dig a well.

They died after inhaling gas from the well, it stated.

A case was registered against Jashabhai Keraliya, Janak Aniyaria, Khimjibhai Saradia, and Kalpesh Parmar, the official said.

Bodies of the deceased labourers have been sent for post-mortem, he added.

Earlier in February, three workers died after inhaling toxic gas that emanated after a blast triggered by gelatin sticks for an illegal mining operation in the district.