India, Feb. 9 -- The Meghalaya government on Monday decided to constitute a judicial inquiry commission to probe the blast at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district last week that has so far claimed 27 lives and left nine others injured.

The explosion occurred on Thursday at a remote mine in the Mynsyngat-Thangskai area, where several workers were inside at the time of the incident. Rescue and recovery operations continued on Monday, with teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Meghalaya Police deployed at the site. By Saturday, 27 bodies had been recovered.

"The government has decided to constitute a judicial inquiry commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to in...