Koderma, Aug. 27: Three persons of Chatarbar village were killed when a mica mine caved in while they were collecting dhibra (scrap mica).

The incident took place at about 6 am today when the three went to collect scrap mica at an abandoned mica mine near the forest. Chatabar village used to be a mica mining hub.

The three deceased have been identified as Rukhsana Khatun (13), Md. Minhaz (42) and Shakila Khatun (22).

A case of unnatural death has been registered at the in Koderma police station. Another such incident had taken place in the area earlier but it went unreported because collecting scrap mica is illegal.

The bodies have been sent to the Koderma subdivisional hospital for post-mortem.