SCCL worker loses fingers in blast at mine in Bhupalpally

The worker was handling a poorni, an explosive device used for blasting coal, when it went off unexpectedly in his left hand.

Hyderabad: A Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) worker lost fingers on Monday, June 15, after an explosive detonated in his hand at the KTK-5 incline underground mine in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.

The injured worker, identified as Sreeramu Pradeep, is employed as a short firer and was working the first shift at the 13th level of the mine when the accident occurred. He was handling a poorni, an explosive device used for blasting coal, when it went off unexpectedly in his left hand, causing severe injuries and severing his fingers.

Fellow workers who were present at the site immediately responded, pulling Pradeep out of the mine amid heavy bleeding and rushing him to the SCCL Bhupalpally Area Hospital, where he is receiving emergency treatment.

SCCL officials have launched an inquiry into the incident to determine the cause of the premature detonation.

The accident is the latest in a series of mishaps at the Kakatiya Khani (KTK) cluster of underground mines in Bhupalpally, raising fresh concerns among workers and trade unions over safety standards at SCCL’s underground operations.