ASSAM-Explosion at Bargolia Colliery

places, killing an unspecified number of people. The police bloodshed and violence has scared the people of many villages away from their homes. After the March 17 firing at Pakaria, truck- loads of CRPF began raiding all the villages in the neighbourhood and pick- ON January 22, 1979, a major accident took place in the Bargolia coalfields of the Upper Assam district of Dibrugarh. 12 miners died on the spot and 60 others had to be hospitalised. Among these, four more miners succumbed to their injuries bringing the death toll to 16 altogether. Most of the miners killed were young (three of them were recently married) and nearly all were the sole breadwinners of their families. A compensation of Rs 1,000 has been paid to each of the families of the deceased and the company has also promised to give employ. ment to one member from each of the affected families. The Union Ministers for Labour and Energy, both of whom visited the site of the accident, held an inquiry as well.