Covid suspends coal production at Barapukuria

Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Limited has suspended its mining activities as a significant number of workers tested positive for Covid-19.

Three days after BCMCL resumed its operations, after a three-month-long suspension for development work at its compound, the fresh suspension came into effect on Friday night.

Eighty-three miners, including 50 Chinese nationals, tested positive since Tuesday.

"The coal extraction has been suspended to prevent the disease from spreading further," said BCMCL Managing Director Saiful Islam Sarkar yesterday.

Around 400 local and 300 Chinese miners were working to extract coal at the mining ground in Dinajpur's Parbatipur upazila.

As some of them began showing symptoms of coronavirus, the authorities conducted RT-PCR tests on 143 miners. Of them, 16 tested positive on Tuesday, according to officials.

Later, another test was carried out on 450 miners. Of them, 67 tested positive on Thursday, they added.

The sharp rise in Covid cases inside BCMCL compound prompted its high officials to take the decision of suspending its coal production.

On Friday night, the authorities sent around 90 infected workers into quarantine, while the others were asked to go home, said Saiful.

Mining would remain suspended for 15 days, he added.

Around 5,000 tonnes of coal have been extracted from underground from Wednesday, which has already been supplied to 525MW Barapukuria coal-fired power plant.

Asked, officials at the power plant said the power station could operate, without hampering regular electricity production, for over 15 days with its existing stock.

The plant has around 40,000 tonnes of coal at its stockyard.