Ranchi: The massive fire that broke out at a coal mine in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district on Monday may threaten the Ranchi-Patna national highway, an official said on Wednesday.
Quintals of coal were gutted in the fire, the smoke from which still engulfs the area.
Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) officials, camped at the coal mine, are trying to douse the flames. "Efforts are on to control the fire. We hope to bring it under control by Saturday.
"The fire erupted due to illegal mining in the area. It was an underground fire which erupted and became destructive due to illegal mining that allows air to penetrate inside the mine," Sumit Ghosh, a top CCL official, told IANS.
Asked about the threat to the highway, he said: "Above the ground, the fire is 700 meter away from the national highway and the area of underground mine is around 150 meter away from the road."
A similar fire had in 2009 led to the closure of the highway, considered the lifeline between Bihar and Jharkhand.
Quintals of coal were gutted in the fire, the smoke from which still engulfs the area.
Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) officials, camped at the coal mine, are trying to douse the flames. "Efforts are on to control the fire. We hope to bring it under control by Saturday.
Asked about the threat to the highway, he said: "Above the ground, the fire is 700 meter away from the national highway and the area of underground mine is around 150 meter away from the road."
Advertisement
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
"Follow The Rules": Jay Shah's Blunt Message To Ishan Kishan For India Comeback 8 Of Family Hospitalised After Consuming Wild Mushroom In Jharkhand: Cops 3-Year-Old Student Raped By School Van Driver, 30, In Jharkhand: Police Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death Pilot Dies After Plane Crashes During Aerobatic Show In France "Vandals, Scandals Marring Civic Life In Bengal": Governor On Kolkata Rape Group Backed By Bloomberg, NASA To Launch 1st Methane-Hunting Satellite Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.