Police are investigating the collapse of an illegal coal mine in Katras, Dhanbad, on September 13.
At least two people died, and some reports put the number at three.
The upper portion of the tunnel caved in while people were collecting coal.
Villagers began rescue work with spades and pickaxes.
Locals feared more people might still be trapped.
Collapses in unauthorised tunnels are hard to prevent because the workings are unsupported and unmapped.
The incident has renewed calls from labour groups for stronger enforcement and for alternative livelihoods for people who depend on illegal mining.
Dhanbad is often called India’s coal capital and sits on the Jharia coalfield, one of the country’s most important coking coal reserves.
Legal mining in the region is carried out by Bharat Coking Coal Limited, a Coal India subsidiary, while illegal miners often work in abandoned or unsupervised workings.
The first reports of the accident did not mention any arrests, and police said their investigation into the circumstances had only just begun.
Jharkhand has seen repeated accidents at illegal mines in past years, which is why labour groups keep raising safety concerns.
Accounts of the collapse were carried by PTI-based outlets such as The Hans India and National Herald, as well as Hindi channels including AajTak.
The collapse happened on Sunday, September 13, at around 7 am in Keshalpur Kumharpatti, in the Ramkanali police outpost area of Katras.
Men and women had entered an illegal mine tunnel to cut and collect coal when the upper portion of the tunnel suddenly caved in.
Nearby villagers rushed to the spot and began removing debris using spades and pickaxes before police arrived.
Police reached the site and began investigating the circumstances of the accident.
Reports differed on the toll: a labour union leader quoted by PTI said three people were killed, while AajTak reported the deaths of two women.
Coal mine in Dhanbad (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
