SHASHANK SHEKHAR

Rescue team members and BCCL officials outside the Godhar mines near Dhanbad on Monday. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, Sept. 8: A fire broke out late last evening at Kusunda colliery, about 9km from Dhanbad, forcing 400 families to be evacuated from near the open-cast mine belonging to Bharat Coking Coal Limited.

Senior BCCL officials at the spot said it would take at least four to five days to douse the raging flames hardly 500km from the busy NH-32 that connects the coal belt town to Bokaro.