Dhanbad: At least three people were killed, and several others remain feared trapped beneath rubble after an illegal coal mine collapsed in eastern India's Jharkhand state on Sunday morning, a trade union official said.

The incident occurred at approximately 7 a.m. local time at Keshalpur Kumharpatti in the Katras area of Dhanbad district.

Vimalesh Chaubey, regional president of the National Colliery Mazdoor Union, stated that a group of local men and women had entered the makeshift mine tunnel to manually extract and collect coal when the structure's roof caved in, burying those inside under debris.

"Some men and women had gone into the illegal tunnel to cut and pick coal. The upper part of the tunnel suddenly collapsed, burying several people under the debris. Following the accident, nearby villagers rushed to the scene and began removing the debris using spades, pickaxes, and other tools. We know that three people are confirmed dead," Chaubey said.

Chaubey added that three injured individuals were pulled from the collapse site and transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

Local residents expressed fears that more individuals could still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure, prompting emergency rescue operations to intensify at the location.

According to local accounts, unauthorised coal extraction has operated routinely through unorganised tunnels in the area, with extracted fuel transported on motorbikes to be sold in surrounding markets.

The collapse happened while workers were carrying out extraction in the tunnel before the roof gave way without warning.

Police officers subsequently arrived at the site to commence an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the mine collapse.

Authorities are monitoring the ongoing rescue operations to clear the debris and ascertain whether additional workers remain trapped beneath the cave-in.

PTI