The explosion occurred when detonators were being transported in the truck for planned blasts at the Gangaramchak and Gangaramchak-Bhadulia coal mines, an official of the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL) said.
The incident happened around 10.30 am at Bhadulia village in which the captive mine of the WBPDCL is situated.
WBPDCL Chairman and Managing Director Punjab Salim told, The incident occurred in the dump yard of the coal block.
A mine developer and operator (MDO) runs operations at the captive block.
The MDO concerned will provide compensation to the families of the victims, another WBPDCL official said.
Local BJP MLA Anup Saha, who visited the spot, said, “The condition of the injured was stated to be critical. The explosive materials were unloaded from a truck without proper precautions.”
The detonator van was gutted in the explosion.
WBPDCL, a company owned by the West Bengal government, has five power plants and its installed capacity stands at 4,265 MW. In the current fiscal, an additional 660 MW thermal capacity is expected to be added.
