Worker dies while cleaning SAIL’s coal mine chimney

Sindri: A contractual worker died while four others escaped unhurt during an accident when they were cleaning a clogged chimney of a coal mine of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in Chasnala late on Friday night. Trade unions and other political parties allowed the body of the deceased to be taken away only after the management of the manpower company agreed to provide a job to his widow and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh.
Assistant general manager of the colliery, Ajay Kumar, said, “We had announced a compensation and job for Alam’s widow Faizia Tasleem (28) during the night itself, but the trade union leaders did not allow us to pick up the body demanding compensation from the contract firm. They later conceded only after the contract firm agreed to pay Rs 4 lakh as compensation.”
Chief general manager of the colliery A K Roy said, “The worker, Mahtab Alam (37), had gone to the 12th seam of the longwal panel of the deep mine along with four other workers around 8.40pm and found the mine’s chimney blocked with chunks of coal. Alam tried to clean the chimney with a rod when he slipped and fell into the chimney.”
He added, “Before others could understand what happened, Alam came down the chimney along with the clogged coal and fell on the chute and got buried under tons of coal and died on the spot. When the other workers raised an alarm, officials rushed to the mine. His body was retrieved from the debris only at 1am.” Alam was reportedly not wearing a safety belt at the time of the accident.