An explosion at the Chirmiri open cast coal mine in Chhattisgarh’s Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district on Monday resulted in injuries to three workers, comprising two women and one man. The incident occurred during the critical stage of preparing for a blasting operation. According to mine officials, the blast happened unexpectedly as the blasting gang was moving away from the site after setting explosives. Flying rock fragments from the explosion caused the injuries. The affected workers were immediately taken to the SECL regional hospital in Kurasia, where they are being treated for minor wounds. Their health is reported to be stable, and they are expected to recover fully. An investigation is actively underway to determine the precise cause of the premature detonation, with a technical glitch being the primary suspect. Safety measures and operational procedures are under review, and the mine site has been secured. Operations are paused while these assessments are conducted.
