Explosion took place at an unregulated mine in the northeastern East Jainta Hills area.

An explosion at an illicit coal mine in northeast India has killed at least 18 people, according to local authorities.

Police on Thursday said they had pulled 18 bodies from the blast site, located in a remote part of East Jainta Hills district.

Eight others were wounded in the incident, said local official Manish Kumar. It is unclear how many workers were at the site during the explosion; others may still be trapped, said police.

Kumar said rescuers paused operations at sundown Thursday and planned to resume Friday with support from state and federal personnel. He described the site as an “illegal rat-hole mine”, referring to a deep, narrow shaft where workers risk hazardous conditions to extract coal and other minerals.

District police chief Vikash Kumar said dynamite likely triggered the blast, but investigations were ongoing.

“It is likely that the workers died either from burn injuries or breathing issues because of the release of noxious fumes,” said Kumar in a statement carried by The Indian Express. “But because there is no one who has come out in a condition to tell us exactly what happened and how many workers were there in total, we do not have an estimation of how many more may be trapped.”

Prime Minister Modi announces compensation

Conrad Sangma, chief minister of the Indian state of Meghalaya, where the incident occurred, pledged that authorities would hold those responsible accountable and urged against illegal mining.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed “condolences” to the families of the deceased workers and announced a 200,000 rupees ($2,216) compensation package for each family. “Pained by the mishap in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya,” his office wrote in a post on X.

Unregulated coal pits are common in India’s east and northeast regions, with workers earning between $18 to $24 for a day-long shift.

Back in 2018, at least 15 miners were killed while trapped in one such mine in Meghalaya state.

Rat-hole mining has been banned in Meghalaya since 2014 due to water pollution concerns.