The death toll in the coal mine blast in the Indian state of Meghalaya has reached 27, with search operations ongoing.
Search and rescue operations are “continuing” following the explosion at the state's East Jaintia Hills, and the recovery of additional bodies, said public broadcaster All India Radio.
Earlier, Chief Minister of the state Conrad Sangma said the blast took place at an illegal coal mine.
Sangma said the government has ordered a "comprehensive inquiry" into the accident.
Police has registered a case and arrested two people in connection with the blast.
Rat-hole mines are deep vertical shafts, often dug into hillsides, that branch out into narrow tunnels to extract coal and other minerals.
India's federal environment court banned rat-hole mining in Meghalaya in 2014 after local communities complained it was polluting water sources and endangering lives.
However, the practice remains widespread across the state, particularly in East Jaintia Hills.
District police chief Vikash Kumar said Thursday that the explosion was likely caused by a dynamite blast.
