Massive fire in abandoned coal mine puts 10k at risk in Jharkhand's Rajrappa, locals complain of toxic gases

RAMGARH: A massive underground fire broke out in an abandoned coal mine in the Rajrappa area of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), threatening nearly 10,000 residents of Bhuchungdih village located approximately 500 metres from the site.
The fire, which erupted late Sunday night, is releasing toxic gases and creating concerns about potential landslides, yet firefighting efforts have been delayed.
Local villager Raju Mahto expressed grave concern about the situation, stating that if the fire is not contained immediately, residents may be forced to evacuate to safer locations. Another resident, Jeevan Mahto, said that villagers had previously reported underground smoke to CCL and local administrative officials, but their warnings went unheeded until the situation escalated into Sunday's fire.
Ramgarh deputy commissioner Chandan Kumar said that officials are monitoring the situation closely and consulting with CCL mining experts and firefighting specialists to develop an effective response strategy.
The administration has directed the Ramgarh SDO, district mining officer, and CCL officials to commence firefighting operations immediately to prevent the fire from reaching the densely populated Bhuchungdih village in the Chitarpur block.
General manager of CCL's Rajrappa area, Kalyanji Prasad, acknowledged the severity of the fire and said initial containment efforts using soil and sand filling are going on.
"However, the isolated location poses significant challenges for accessing the site with heavy machinery and fire tenders," he said.
CCL officials confirmed the presence of deadly toxic gases, including carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, in the smoke.
Mining experts emphasise that extinguishing underground coal mine fires presents a complex challenge that has persisted for over a century. A K Choubey, a retired chief mining engineer with three decades of industry experience, said that while cutting off oxygen supply through soil and sand filling provides temporary relief, it's not a permanent solution as fires can reignite if oxygen finds new pathways.
"Two primary solutions have been identified for addressing underground mine fires: nitrogen gas injection through precise drilling, and excavation of the fire area. However, both approaches present significant challenges. Nitrogen injection, while effective, is extremely costly and requires accurate location identification. This becomes particularly problematic in illegal mining operations where proper documentation of mine layouts is unavailable. The excavation approach, while thorough, requires extensive project planning and substantial financial investment," he said.
A similar situation occurred in 2007 along the Ranchi-Patna National Highway in CCL's Kuju area, where an underground fire forced the closure of the busy route for over a year. Authorities successfully contained that fire using a combination of nitrogen gas injection and excavation, though it required developing a highway diversion as part of the solution.
CCL's Rajrappa area general manager Prasad said that while the affected mine had been previously closed by authorities, it may have been illegally reopened, highlighting the ongoing challenges of managing abandoned mine sites and preventing unauthorized access.