Betul, Madhya Pradesh: A tragic accident took place at the Chhatarpur-1 coal mine of Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) in Pathakheda on Thursday afternoon. The roof of the mine suddenly collapsed, killing three workers on the spot.  

The incident happened around 3 PM in the Container Miner (CM) section of the mine. A 10-metre-wide section of the roof caved in, trapping workers underneath. As soon as the authorities received the news, police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rushed to the scene. After hours of rescue efforts, they recovered the bodies of the three victims.  

The deceased have been identified as Govind Kosaria (37), Ramprasad Chauhan (46), and Ramdev Pandole (49). Their bodies were taken to Ghodadongri Health Centre for post-mortem and later handed over to their families on Friday morning. 

Following the accident, a WCL investigation team from Nagpur reached the mine on Friday to examine the cause of the collapse. A team from Coal India Ltd is also expected to visit on Saturday. Authorities have said that the full investigation report will be ready in a week.  

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and State Minister Prahlad Patel expressed their sorrow over the deaths. Betul Collector Narendra Kumar Suryavanshi and Superintendent of Police Nischal Jharia visited the site to monitor the rescue operation.  

BJP MLA Dr Yogesh Pandagre also reached the spot. The administration has ordered WCL to provide an immediate financial aid of ₹1.5 lakh to each victim’s family, along with other benefits like ex-gratia, gratuity, and compensation.   

Govind Kosaria (37): A resident of Kabirdham, Chhattisgarh, he joined WCL in 2019 and was transferred to Chhatarpur-1 in 2023 as an Assistant Manager. He is survived by his wife Priyanka.  

Ramprasad Chauhan (46): He worked at WCL since 2004 and lived in Hospital Colony, Pathakheda. He is survived by his wife Uma, daughter Purvi (13), and son Jitendra (10).  

Ramdev Pandole (49): He joined the coal company in 1995 and worked as an SPA (Senior Personal Assistant). He lived in Shobhapur Colony and is survived by his wife Sarita and two sons, Ankush (24) and Piyush (22).  

The roof collapse happened 3.5 km inside the mine, but the exact size of the damaged area is still unknown. Officials have assured that a full investigation is underway.  

Mine accidents like this raise serious concerns about worker safety. Authorities have promised to take necessary steps to prevent such incidents in the future.