Shillong: The death toll from an explosion at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district rose to 25 on Friday after the recovery of seven more bodies, police said.

The blast occurred on Thursday at the mine in the Thangsku area of Umsngat village, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation involving multiple agencies. Eighteen bodies were recovered on Thursday.

“So far, seven additional bodies have been recovered today, taking the total number of deaths to 25. Out of these, 12 bodies have been identified,” Director General of Police I Nongrang told PTI.

Search operations are continuing at the site, with teams from the State Disaster Response Force, the Special Rescue Team and the National Disaster Response Force deployed. Medical teams and ambulances are also on standby.

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“The search operation is still underway, and all efforts are being made to trace any remaining victims and complete the identification process at the earliest,” Nongrang said.

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Officials added that the Army and the Air Force remain on standby, while the district administration and the State Disaster Management Authority continue to closely monitor the situation.