2 more bodies retrieved from Meghalaya mine, toll now 27

Guwahati: The death toll in the dynamite explosion in an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district climbed to 27 on Saturday after two more bodies were recovered, police said.The multiple-agency search operation in the Thangsku area of Umsngat village, where the explosion occurred on Thursday, is still underway, with several people reported missing, police said, adding that efforts are also being made to verify the identities of the deceased.Officials said the search teams are working round the clock in the remote terrain, as families await word on missing relatives.The Meghalaya govt has stepped up response measures, deploying multiple agencies including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Special Rescue Team (SRT) and the Border Security Force (BSF). Medical teams have also been mobilised to provide treatment to the injured.