Dozens feared trapped in Jharkhand coal mine collapse

Rescue operations delayed after bad weather and poor visibility in eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.

It is still unclear how many people were inside the mine when the accident took place 


At least 40 people are feared trapped inside a coal mine in the east Indian state of Jharkhand after a section of the mine collapsed, local media reported.

Officials said a part of the mine in the Godda district caved-in on Thursday, injuring at least four people and leaving more than 40 people trapped under rubble.

Officials said that rescue operations had to be delayed until Friday morning because of bad weather, including poor visibility due to fog.

Raghubar Das, chief minister of Jharkhand state, said he was "monitoring the situation closely" and that he had "asked concerned officials to intensify rescue operations".


Dozens of vehicles and machinery were also covered and trapped under piles of debris, officials said.

Local media reported that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team would reach the site by midday.

Jharkand is one of India's poorest states. Almost 40 percent of its population lives under the poverty line while more than half of the states' districts have poverty levels that exceed 40 percent.

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