Guwahati: Coal India has brought in a pump of 500 GPM (gallons per minute) to dewater the coal mine at 3 Kilo, Umrangso area, in Assam’s Dima Hasao district.
A joint rescue operation of the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, NDRF, SDRF teams and other agencies continued on Friday to rescue 8 people who have been trapped in the coal mine since January 6.
As many as ten workers were trapped inside a ‘rat hole’ coal mine after water gushed into the 300-foot-deep quarry.
“We have brought one high pump of 500 GPM from Nagpur and it is under installation. We have also brought two generators that will allow this heavy pump to work,” K Mere, General Manager, of Northeastern Coal Field told a news agency.
“Installation work will continue for 24 hours in three shifts. In one minute it can pump out 500 gallons of water. We don’t know the exact situation underground,” he added.
Assam Mines and Minerals Minister Kaushik Rai confirmed on Wednesday that only one body has been recovered from the mine so far.
Rai said, “One body is recovered. An Army team has again dived in (in the mine). The Navy team will also go. We have started the process of dewatering the mine. A few people are saying that 10-12 people are trapped. When the water level decreases, we will be in the position to tell the exact number.”
On Thursday, Inspector Roshan Kumar Singh, team commander of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), confirmed that despite searching the vertical area and using heavy pumps to remove water, the water level had not decreased at the mining accident site.
The Indian Army mobilized a relief task force comprising specialist divers, engineers, medical personnel, support staff from the Army and Assam Rifles, and equipped with specialized equipment, on January 7 to rescue the miners trapped in the mine.
The mine collapse, which trapped several workers, has posed numerous challenges for rescue teams due to the hazardous conditions underground.
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Initial reports indicate that over 27 mine workers entered the mine on Monday morning. However, only 17 workers were able to escape safely while over 10 remain trapped in the 300-foot-deep mine, which is now filled with 100 feet of water.
The mine is believed to have been operating without proper safety measures.
