Explosion in illegal Indian coal mine kills 18, police say

At least 18 people were killed on Thursday in an explosion at an illegal coal mine in India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya, police said.

In a statement, local police confirmed that rescue teams recovered a total of 18 bodies from the site during search operations following the blast.

Illegal coal mining remains common in parts of Meghalaya despite repeated bans, often operating without safety measures and posing serious risks to workers. Authorities did not immediately disclose the cause of the explosion, and investigations are ongoing.