Suzanne Lee Photographer

Coal miners refuse to move out of 'Hell on Earth'

Families of coal miners live above fire in Jharia, a small town near Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India. Men, women and young children live on the perimeters of the government coal mines, stealing coal pieces to sell to the coal markets at a small profit. Efforts have been made by the government to relocate these squatter villages to nearby towns but these families would rather live above the burning mines, risking regular ground cave-ins and death by accidental falling into the holes of fire. Photo by Suzanne Lee

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Copyright: Suzanne Lee
Image Size: 3861x2574 / 3.1MB; miners coal amber fire cave mining mine mines soot village villages villagers villager burn burning burned burnt men women hell children families home india community indian south asia asian social documentary malaysian Suzanne Lee Szu Shien Photographer Photography Photograph picture image stills www.suzanne-lee.com
Contained in galleries: Minor Miners, Coal Mining Children, India

Families of coal miners live above fire in Jharia, a small town near Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India. Men, women and young children live on the perimeters of the government coal mines, stealing coal pieces to sell to the coal markets at a small profit. Efforts have been made by the government to relocate these squatter villages to nearby towns but these families would rather live above the burning mines, risking regular ground cave-ins and death by accidental falling into the holes of fire. Photo by Suzanne Lee