Two miners were trapped following a roof collapse at an open-pit mine in Jharkhand, India, local police said on December 21.

The incident occurred around 11 PM on December 20 at the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) mine in Barkagaon, when the highwall of the mine collapsed onto a coal-loading truck.

A highwall refers to the face of exposed overburden and coal in a mine, and its stability is crucial for the safety of both miners and equipment.

"A rescue operation is underway for the two workers. Another person has already been rescued from the accident site and admitted to a hospital here," said Pawan Kumar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Barkagaon.

However, due to darkness, heavy fog, and protests from other miners, the rescue efforts were unsuccessful that night. On December 21, the bodies of the two trapped miners were recovered during an operation, confirming their deaths.

Following the accident, coal extraction activities were halted by other miners due to "insufficient" safety measures as the cause of the incident. They also called for compensation for the families of the deceased.