Baghmara mine tragedy: A disaster without a trace, a blame game without accountability

In Dhanbad’s Baghmara block, a tragedy may have occurred, but officially, it hasn’t.

Nine labourers are feared dead, but there are no bodies. A mine may have collapsed, but there is no visible crater. Grief hangs in the air, yet remains unacknowledged.

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From ministers to MLAs, from political opponents to distressed locals — everyone agrees that something horrifying has happened. Yet, the police and BCCL management continue to deny any incident.

The paradox only deepens.

Health Minister Irfan Ansari called the incident “a shame on the state,” squarely blaming BCCL, the government-owned Bharat Coking Coal Limited.

“Our people are being buried alive while BCCL and the coal mafia continue business as usual. Then they whitewash it all as ‘illegal mining deaths’ and deny compensation,” he said, asserting that he had alerted the district administration and was seeking the Chief Minister’s intervention.

Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy raised the alarm on social media, claiming that nine workers had died in a mine collapse in Jamunia, and that coal mafias were busy disposing of the bodies to erase evidence.

“I’ve informed the Dhanbad SSP. But will anyone act?” his post asked — a question hanging unanswered in the coal-laden air.

The BJP, rather than blaming BCCL, turned its ire toward the state government. “These are not accidents — these are institutional killings. Illegal mining is booming under this government’s nose,” said BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo, demanding a CBI probe into what he called a pattern of collapse, cover-up, and criminal negligence.

But just as blame lines seemed to harden, Congress leader Sonal Shanti challenged the narrative: “This is not a state failure; it’s the failure of central coal agencies — BCCL, CCL, and their CISF protectors. They leave mined sites dangerously open, giving mafias a free playground. If anyone is responsible, it’s the Coal Ministry in Delhi.”

So, the state blames the Centre. The Centre blames the state. The people blame both. But the official version remains eerily silent.

There is no FIR. No site has been cordoned off. No recovery operation is underway. Just a heavy silence where there should be sirens.

It’s a tragedy everyone acknowledges — yet no one owns. What lies buried in Baghmara is not just coal but the truth.