Ranchi, Oct 14(ANI): People residing in Silli Block in Ranchi are a worried lot after a 200-feet high hillock in Jumla mountains range caved in on Wednesday.

The effect of the hillock crashing was so intense that the debris has spread over an area of one kilometre.

“It made a thundering noise at night when it (the rock) caved in and we noticed it only in the morning. We saw the whole rock and now we are praying to avoid further catastrophes,” said Ram Singh Munda, a villager.

However, an expert geologist Nitish Priyadarshi, who also happens to be a member of Geological Society of India, said that the incident was not natural and blamed coal mining being carried out in the region for the catastrophe.

“What we can assume is that there is a danger of land subsidence as there are coal mines under the surface. Due to the topographical stress developed in the region, a mountain which must have highly weathered caved in and there is a danger that other such hillocks in the region may also suffer the same fate,” Nitish Priyadarshi said.

He also said that excessive and massive mining activities could also lead to earthquakes. (ANI)