NEW DELHI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in Thursday's coal mine explosion in India's northeastern state of Meghalaya rose to 18, confirmed official sources on Friday.
The blast occurred at a coal mine in a village in the state's East Jaintia Hills district.
The National Disaster Response Force was carrying out a rescue operation to locate any survivors inside the coalmine.
Expressing grief at the accident, the state's Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the government would initiate a probe into the explosion.
"Accountability will be fixed, and those responsible will face strict legal action. There will be no compromise when it comes to the safety of lives," added the chief minister. ■
