CCL’s underground mine catches fire

Ramgarh: Flames leap high into the air and thick clouds of smoke hang over the area triggering fear among locals as the underground fire at Topa Colliery Project site at Kuju in the district has been raging on for the last few days.
Authorities said the cause of the fire in the abandoned mine owned by Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) is still unknown but steps have been taken to control the fire.
Staff officer (safety), Kuju area of CCL, Sanjay Kumar Singh said, “Any fresh fire in the abandoned mine is still unknown but the management has taken several steps to control it. It is believed that there might be a 15-ft deep underground space where the fire broke out. Several gallons of water discharged from our operational coal mine have been diverted to control of the fire.”
Ramgarh is one of the biggest coal belts of CCL. It is the first such fire. Few years ago, a coal seam fire led to a gas leakage in the middle of the busy Ranchi-Patna national highway at Kuju.
Sources said the fire near the highway at Kuju colliery is still burning, which is nearly 1 km away from Barkakana-Hazaribag rail tracks and half a km from NH-33.