Chinese shift manager dies in Barapukuria Coal Mine accident

DINAJPUR, July 10: A Chinese shift manager was killed after being crushed beneath a hydraulic jack 1,235 feet underground at Barapukuria Coal Mine in Parbatipur Upazila of the district on Tuesday evening.

Following the accident, an unnatural death case was filed with Parbatipur Model Police Station on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Wang Jiang Guo, 56, an employee under the Chinese contractor consortium XMC-CMC working for Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited, was operating in underground face No. 1305 when the accident happened. 

While removing hydraulic supports from the truck gate area, he became entangled in a steel rope and was crushed under the hydraulic jack.

He was immediately rescued and taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead at around 7:30 pm. 

General Manager (Mine Operations) of Barapukuria Coal Mine Khan Md Zafar Sadiq confirmed said that the coal at face No. 1305 had been depleted on June 23, and equipment was being moved to the new face No. 1405. During this relocation process, the accident took place due to carelessness.

In a separate incident earlier on Tuesday, a 10-year-old madrasa student, named Ilias Hossain, lost his right wrist after a discarded detonator exploded near Barapukuria Coal Mine. Ilias, son of Ashraful Islam from Chouhati Village and a student at Chouhati Salafia Madrasa, is currently being treated at Dinajpur Medical College Hospital.