(CNN) A huge open-pit coal mine has collapsed in eastern India, trapping at least 30 people and killing at least seven, police officials say.

Hari Lal Chouhan, Superintendent of Police in Godda, where the mine is located, said seven bodies have been pulled out of the debris so far. The exact number of those feared trapped is unknown.

He added that as many as 20 vehicles have been buried in the landslide.

The cause of the landslide is still being investigated.

Photos: Mine collapses in Jharkand, India Hide Caption 1 of 2 Photos: Mine collapses in Jharkand, India Hide Caption 2 of 2

Catastrophe struck the vast mine Thursday evening local time, but rescue teams were unable to start their operation straight away due to a lack of technology, according to police officials.

Read More</s>BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - At least nine Indian miners were killed and nearly two dozen trapped when mine waste collapsed at a coalfield run by state-owned Coal India Limited, officials said on Friday, hitting production at one of the country’s largest mines.

The accident occurred in Jharkhand state on Thursday evening at the Lalmatia mine owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of the world’s largest miner.

“So far, nine bodies have been recovered,” R.R. Amitabh, a general manager at the ECL project office told Reuters. A rescue operation was underway and the exact number of people trapped had yet to ascertained, he said.

Coal India has a poor safety record, with 135 accidents reported last year, killing 37 people and injuring 141, the company said in a report, highlighting concern about working conditions.

Operations at the mine in Godda district, about 280 km (175 miles) from the state capital, Ranchi, have been stopped, Amitabh said.

The mine has an annual capacity of 17 million tonnes and accounts for about half of ECL’s coal production, he said. Last month, ECL accounted for about 9 percent of Coal India’s total production of 50 million tonnes.

Mine waste piled up near the mine caved in, state police spokesman R.K. Mullick said.

“At that time, about 40 people were working in the mine and some of them managed to escape. Some of them have injuries,” Mullick said.

The operation of the mine had been outsourced to a private company, Mullick said.

The federal Coal Ministry has ordered an investigation.

With coal accounting for about 70 percent of India’s power generation, the country is the world’s third-biggest producer and importer of the fuel, and government wants to boost domestic output to cut imports.

Coal India, however, has failed to meet its output targets for years due to several reasons including strikes, accidents and protests.</s>Five killed, many trapped in Indian coal mine collapse - police

BHUBANESWAR, India, Dec 30 (Reuters) - At least five Indian miners were killed and nearly two dozen trapped when mine waste collapsed at a mine run by state-owned Coal India Limited , police said on Friday.

Several vehicles working at the mine were also trapped in the accident in Jharkhand state on Thursday evening at the Lalmatia mines owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of the world's largest miner.

"Five dead bodies have been recovered so far and 23 are missing," state police spokesman R.K. Mullick told Reuters.

Mine waste piled up near the mine caved, he said, adding that the operation of the mine had been outsourced to a private company.

"At that time, about 40 people were working in the mine and some of them managed to escape. Some of them have injuries," Mullick said.

A spokesman for ECL declined to comment saying it was still gathering details from the site.

"Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a twitter post, adding that the state government and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal were helping.

ECL accounted for about 9 percent of Coal India's total production of 50 million tonnes last month. (Reporting by Jatindra Dash; Editing by Malini Menon and Robert Birsel)</s>A coal mine has collapsed in India killing at least five people and leaving dozens more trapped underground.

Around two dozen miners at the mine run by the state-owned Coal India Limited are feared to be stuck far underground following Friday's accident.

Several vehicles working at the mine were also trapped in the accident in Jharkhand state on Thursday evening at the Lalmatia mines owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of the world's largest miner.

"Five dead bodies have been recovered so far and 23 are missing," state police spokesman R.K. Mullick told Reuters.

Mine waste piled up near the mine caved, he said, adding that the operation of the mine had been outsourced to a private company.

"At that time, about 40 people were working in the mine and some of them managed to escape. Some of them have injuries," Mullick said.

A spokesman for ECL declined to comment saying it was still gathering details from the site.

"Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a twitter post, adding that the state government and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal were helping.

ECL accounted for about 9 percent of Coal India's total production of 50 million tonnes last month.</s>BHUBANESWAR, India: At least five Indian miners were killed and nearly two dozen trapped when mine waste collapsed at a mine run by state-owned Coal India Limited, police said on Friday. Several vehicles working at the mine were also trapped in the accident in Jharkhand state on Thursday evening at the Lalmatia mines owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited , a subsidiary of the world's largest miner.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Channelnewsasia.com.</s>Indian coal mine death toll rises to 16, some still trapped

BHUBANESWAR, India, Dec 31 (Reuters) - The death toll in an Indian coal mine collapse rose to 16 on Saturday and could rise further, officials said, as some people are still feared trapped at a coalfield run by state-owned Coal India Limited.

The accident occurred in Jharkhand state on Thursday evening at the Lalmatia mine, one of the country's largest, which is owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL).

"At night (on Friday), the rescue operation was slow due to fog," R.R. Amitabh, a senior officer at ECL, told Reuters, adding that about 30 percent of the collapsed mine waste had been removed.

Coal India has a poor safety record, with 135 accidents reported last year, killing 37 people and injuring 141, the company said in a report.

Operations at the mine in Godda district, about 280 km (175 miles) from the state capital, Ranchi, have since been stopped, Amitabh said.

The state police spokesman R.K. Mullick said the number of people still trapped may be less than the nearly two dozen assumed earlier, based on the number of families who were searching for their kin.

The mine has an annual capacity of 17 million tonnes and accounts for about half of ECL's coal production. Last month, ECL accounted for about 9 percent of Coal India's total production of 50 million tonnes.

The federal coal ministry has ordered an investigation and announced some cash compensation to the families of miners who died in the accident.</s>At least five Indian miners were killed and nearly two dozen trapped in a mine in eastern India on Thursday.

A pile of mine waste collapsed at the site operated by state-run miner Coal India Limited, state police said on Friday.

Several vehicles working at the mine were also trapped in the accident in Jharkhand state on Thursday evening at the Lalmatia mines owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of the world’s largest miner.

“Five dead bodies have been recovered so far and 23 are missing,” state police spokesman RK Mullick said.

Mine waste piled up near the mine caved, he said, adding that the operation of the mine had been outsourced to a private company.

“At that time, about 40 people were working in the mine and some of them managed to escape. Some of them have injuries,” Mullick said.

A spokesman for ECL declined to comment saying it was still gathering details from the site.

“Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a twitter post, adding that the state government and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal were helping.

ECL accounted for about 9 per cent of Coal India’s total production of 50 million tonnes last month.</s>Hari Lal Chouhan, Superintendent of Police in Godda, where the mine is located, said seven bodies have been pulled out of the debris so far. The exact number of those feared trapped is unknown.

He added that as many as 20 vehicles have been buried in the landslide.

The cause of the landslide is still being investigated.

Catastrophe struck the vast mine Thursday evening local time, but rescue teams were unable to start their operation straight away due to a lack of technology, according to police officials.

Mr. Chouhan confirmed that a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team were now traveling to the site to help dig through the mud. "Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers are with those trapped inside," he said on Twitter Minister Piyush Goyal said an inquiry was underway, according to CNN affiliate News18 . Goyal is India's Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines. The mine is in Jharkhand, one of the major coal-producing states in India, and run by state-owned Eastern Coalfields Limited. India is one of the world's top three coal consumers and is expected to surpass the United States in terms of coal consumption by 2030.</s>The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that at least seven workers were killed and several others trapped when a coal mine in India’s eastern state of Jharkhand collapsed, officials said. The mine collapsed late Thursday in the Godda District; however recovery operation could only begin early the next day as heavy smog in the area reduced visibility, slowing rescue operation. “We have recovered seven bodies from the spot, some more workers, I would say a maximum of 10, may be trapped,’’ SK Singh, general manager of the mine, said.

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>Ranchi, Dec 30: Several people and vehicles were trapped as a coal mine caved-in in Jharkhand on Thursday night, police said on Friday. Rescue operations began in the morning. Heaps of mud caved-in at the entry point of Latmatia mines of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in Godda district, the police said.

At the time of the cave-in at the Rajmahal Open Cast Mines of Paharia Bhorya site, more than 40 vehicles were inside. Rescue operation could not begin due to night fog, the police said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was likely to reach here by noon, officials said.

Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: 40-50 workers feared trapped under the debris, rescue operations on. NDRF team from Patna on the way. pic.twitter.com/E0q9MLdDuR — ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

"The exact number of people and vehicle trapped inside is not known. This could only become clear after the rescue operation starts," said Harilal Chauhan, Godda Superintendent of Police, earlier.

The locals said that there was crack in the heap of mud which collapsed and blocked the entry point of the mine. Mining operations were taking place about 200 feet beneath the ground.
At least seven people are killed and 30 trapped after a pile of waste collapses in a Coal India mine in Jharkhand.