Bokaro (Jharkhand): Three women were killed and four other people were critically injured early on Thursday when a large pile of coal collapsed at the Kathara Colliery of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) in Jharkhand's Bokaro district, officials told the IANS news agency.

The accident happened at Stockyard No. 5 of the Kathara Colliery, in the Bermo subdivision under the Kathara Outpost area. Jagran, citing its correspondent, put the collapse at around 2:30 am, when the ground at the coal store caved in. A group of villagers had come to the stockyard to collect discarded coal to use as fuel at home.

Officials said six women and one man were caught in the collapse and buried under the debris. Three of the women were found dead at the site. All three were residents of Bandh Basti, according to IANS. The four injured were taken to a local hospital and then referred to a larger hospital because of the seriousness of their condition.

Residents, police and CCL management personnel reached the spot after the alarm was raised and a rescue operation was launched to pull out those trapped. Ravindra Singh, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Bermo, confirmed the incident, officials said.

Jagran reported that none of the seven victims was an employee of Central Coalfields Limited, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, and that an official statement from the company was still awaited. People collecting leftover coal for domestic fuel around collieries is a long-standing and dangerous practice in Jharkhand's coal belt.

Police and the CCL management are investigating how the coal pile collapsed, officials said. Further details are awaited.