Box-cutting, an illegal mining method involving deep vertical shafts followed by horizontal tunnelling, led to one of the worst coal mining tragedies in Meghalaya, killing 18 people at Thangsko in East Jaintia Hills district.
The miners had descended several hundred feet into the shaft and were extracting coal with rudimentary tools when explosives were reportedly used to blast coal seams, a highly risky and banned practice.
The incident highlights the lethal dangers of box-cutting mining and persistent enforcement gaps in illegal coal mining areas.
APSC Relevance:
Illegal mining practices, labour safety, environmental governance, disaster management.
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