Mine blast kills 18 in Meghalaya

At least 18 miners were killed in a blast, and several others feared trapped in an illegal coal mining site in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday, prompting the State Government to order an investigation, officials said.Rescue teams have been engaged in search operations, Director General of Police I Nongrang said, adding that the incident occurred in the Thangsku area in the morning. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and a Special Rescue Team (SRT) have been deployed at the site, and rescue and recovery operations are continuing, police said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that an ex-gratia of INR 2 lakh would be provided to the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured would be given INR 50,000.