Death count in Odisha mine accident increased to 3, CM Patnaik announces Rs 5 lakh ex gratia

The death count in the coal mine accident in Odisha's Angul district increased to three with the recovery of two more bodies on Friday, officials said. The miners were killed in a dump slide at the opencast mine in the Talcher coalfields on Tuesday. Nine workers suffered injuries in the accident, while four were feared trapped. The body of one of the miners was recovered a day after the incident.

"Rescue teams today recovered the bodies of two workers from the debris of the landmass that broke loose on Tuesday night. Those injured in the accident are undergoing treatment at the company's hospital in Talcher," a spokesperson of the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) said.

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A team of MCL officials and the NDRF personnel are carrying out search operations for the fourth miner, he said. "An inquiry committee, under the supervision of the general manager (safety and rescue), has started a probe to ascertain the cause of strata failure," the spokesperson added.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those killed in the incident, an official said on Wednesday. Patnaik conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved families, he said.

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The spokesperson said the MCL, too, will extend a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the family of the deceased, along with gratuity, provident fund, full compensation as per the Employees Compensation Act and benefits under the Coal Mines Pension Scheme. One member of the family will be eligible for a contractual job at the MCL, he said.