Kolkata, Feb 5 (IANS): Two persons were killed and two others severely injured following land subsidence at an abandoned open cast coal mine of Eastern Coalfield Limited in Raniganj in West Bengal's West Burdwan district on Monday.

Locals have alleged that although the said open cast mine was declared as abandoned, adequate precautionary measures were not taken to fill it up with sand and water mixture to prevent illegal mining there.

The BJP legislator from the Asansol (South) constituency and fashion designer-turned-politician Agnimitra Paul immediately reached the spot along with the supporters and supervised the process of recovery of bodies as well as the rescue of the injured persons.

She informed that a total of four persons got trapped in the mine following the land subsidence there. “Two died on the spot, while the two others were injured in the accident," Paul said.

The two dead persons have been identified as Binod Bhuniya (31) and Rajesh Turi (30). The two injured persons, namely Probesh Barnwal and Karu Bhuniyan, have been admitted at the Asansol District Hospital under critical conditions and are currently undergoing treatment there.

In October last year, three persons were killed in a similar land subsidence at the ECL’s Narayankuri Mine at Raniganj.