According to sources, one of the men was the first to inhale toxic gas and collapsed inside the mine. While trying to rescue him, three others entered the mine but were also stuck with unknown toxic gas and fell unconscious. (File/Representational)Four men died after allegedly being exposed to toxic gas inside an illegal coal mine in a forest area along the Giddi-Ramgarh border in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district on Saturday, triggering a political row.The deceased were identified as Ashish Rajwar (25), Kishore Rawani (35), Deva Kumar Bedia (25) and Dablu Bedia (30). Sources said the men had entered the closed mine for excavation work when the incident took place.According to sources, one of the men was the first to inhale toxic gas and collapsed inside the mine. While trying to rescue him, three others entered the mine but were also stuck with unknown toxic gas and fell unconscious.Soon, local residents and police personnel rushed to the spot and launched a rescue effort. Police officials informed that all four men were taken to a nearby hospital. “Doctors declared two of them dead on arrival, while the remaining two succumbed during treatment,” an official said, adding that the post-mortem examinations are being conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death.The forest department said that the mining was illegally operating in the forest area. “All legal and illegal mining areas fall under forest department only but this was opened recently without the notice of forest department. Possibly this illegal mining was discovered just a few days ago and we could not have noticed it. However, we have spotted many such unauthorized mines and took actions against them,” said Nitish Kumar, DFO, Ramgarh.Kumar also added that the forest department will coordinate with the police administration to investigate the case.Reacting to the deaths, BJP state president Aditya Sahu demanded stringent action against officials and those responsible for the alleged illegal mining activities. He called for a case to be registered against the district administration and police officials, alleging administrative failure in preventing illegal mining operations.Story continues below this adSahu claimed that illegal mining continues across several parts of Jharkhand despite repeated reviews and directives issued by the state government. He questioned how mining activities could continue in abandoned mines without the knowledge of the administration and law enforcement agencies.Referring to the Ramgarh incident, Sahu alleged that the victims had entered the abandoned mine for illegal coal extraction and said the tragedy exposed serious lapses in enforcement. He also alleged that mining mafias continued to operate in different parts of the state and accused the administration of failing to act effectively against them.He further cited previous mining-related accidents in Ramgarh and other districts, claiming that labourers were repeatedly losing their lives in unsafe and unauthorised mining operations. He warned that the party would launch an agitation if there was any attempt to shield those responsible for the deaths or dilute the investigation.“The repeated review meetings and announcements had failed to translate into effective ground-level action. We demand accountability from all the agencies responsible for regulating mining activities and ensuring public safety,” said Sahu.Story continues below this adThe district administration is expected to submit a report after preliminary investigations and post-mortem findings are completed.Shubham Tigga is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, presently based in Pune, where he covers the intersections of infrastructure, labor, and the modern economy. His reporting focuses on civil aviation, urban mobility, the gig economy, and workers' unions, providing critical insights into how transit and commercial sectors impact the daily lives of citizens. Expertise & Background Before moving to Pune, he reported extensively from his home state of Chhattisgarh, where he focused on Indigenous (Adivasi) issues, environmental justice, and grassroots struggles in mainland India. This experience gives him a unique lens through which he analyzes the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects on local communities. Academic Foundation He is an alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), where he honed his skills in investigative reporting and ethical journalism. His academic training, combined with his field experience in Central India, allows him to navigate complex socio-economic landscapes with nuance and accuracy. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More Tags:Jharkhand