Three women were killed and five others trapped as a mound caved in while they were mining white soil in Jamtara district of Jharkhand on Monday.
According to Deputy Commissioner Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz, six to eight women from nearby villages were mining white soil for painting their houses during which a mound caved in, burying them.
"As soon as the information was received, the administration sent a JCB to the spot and started the rescue operation. Three women were soon taken out and sent to the nearby Jamtara Sadar Hospital where they were declared dead by doctors," he told news agency PTI.
He added that the search is on but there is little hope for their survival. The administration is currently working to save them.
The women were reportedly aged between 18 and 40.
Hundreds of people from nearby villages gathered at the spot as rescue operations were being carried out.
