Umrangso: Rescue operations to locate miners trapped inside an illegal rat-hole coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district entered their fourth day on Thursday, with multiple state and central agencies working together.
Efforts resumed early Thursday morning after an overnight dewatering operation.
A Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) was deployed inside the flooded mine shaft, but no signs of the trapped miners have been found yet, according to Assam Police.
“The ROV is facing significant challenges due to the hostile environment inside the shaft. The water is completely black, making it extremely difficult to detect anything,” said a senior police official.
Additionally, four Navy deep divers entered the mine’s flooded shaft to assist in the search.
The joint rescue team includes personnel from the Navy, Army, NDRF, SDRF, ONGC, Coal India, and the district administration.
The incident occurred on Monday at the 3-Kilo Coal Quarry in Umrangso, located about 250 kilometers from Guwahati, when a sudden inflow of water flooded the mine.
Quarry workers reported that around 15 miners were inside at the time, of which nine went missing, while others managed to escape.
“One body was recovered on Wednesday, leaving eight miners still unaccounted for,” the official added.
To expedite rescue efforts, Coal India has transported a high-capacity pump from Maharashtra, capable of displacing 500 gallons of water per minute.
The equipment arrived at Silchar airport in Cachar district and is being transported to the site via Mi-17 helicopters.
“Currently, 5-6 pumps are operational, but the heavy siltation in the water is hampering progress. The newly-arrived submersible pump will aid significantly once assembled,” the official said.
The mine, described as a “complete rat-hole mine,” is illegal under the National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s 2014 ban on the hazardous mining practice.
Despite the prohibition, rat-hole mining continues in parts of the Northeast.
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“The mine shaft is 310 feet deep, with multiple channels carved using the rat-hole technique. It’s believed that one of the walls breached, causing the flooding. Other possibilities include a connection to a nearby unused flooded mine or an underground reservoir,” an expert monitoring the operations explained.
On Wednesday, Army divers recovered the body of one miner, identified as Ganga Bahadur Srestho from Nepal’s Udaypur district, at a depth of 85 feet.
Rescue teams remain on high alert, working tirelessly to locate the remaining trapped miners amidst challenging conditions.
