The owner of an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya`s East Jaintia Hills district in which five miners were trapped four days ago has been arrested.

The owner of the mine, Shining Langstang, was arrested from Sutnga village near the mine, a police official said on Thursday.

The narrow entrance mine at Umpleng, 20 km from Khalihriat, the district headquarters of East Jaintia Hills district, was flooded on Sunday following a dynamite explosion.

In 2014, the National Green Tribunal had banned coal mining from such mines in Meghalaya.

Superintendent of Police Jagpal Singh Dhanoa told PTI, “Sordar (contractor of labourers) is absconding and efforts are on to arrest him. A lookout notice has been issued in this regard and its posters have been put up all over the district. "

The district administration has identified at least five miners trapped in the mine, four from Assam and one from Tripura.

The superintendent of police said that the six personnel who survived the accident have been safely escorted to their homes in Assam.

Also read: Six Assam miners feared trapped inside Meghalaya coal mine

Dhanoa said the district administration has also registered a case against the victims as they were also allegedly involved in illegal mining.

He said the victims would not be arrested if they followed the orders of the police and appeared when called.

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