Guwahati: The survival chances for five coal miners trapped in an abandoned quarry in Assam’s Dima Hasao district continue to diminish as dewatering operations enter their eighth day on Monday, officials said.
The nine workers were trapped inside the mine in Umrangso, located about 250 km from Guwahati, on January 6. So far, four bodies have been recovered.
Specialized pumping machines provided by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Coal India are being used to remove water from the quarry.
While the water level has dropped significantly, it remains unclear when the area will be fully cleared or when rescue operations will resume inside the quarry, according to an official on-site.
The rescue efforts are being carried out by a combined team from the navy, army, Assam Rifles, NDRF, SDRF, and the district administration, all of whom have been involved since the incident occurred.
“The chances of survival for the remaining miners are diminishing after eight days of being trapped, but rescue operations will continue,” the official stated.
An underwater Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) is being used at regular intervals to capture images of the trapped miners.
Kaushik Rai, the state minister for mines and minerals, overseeing the rescue operations, said dewatering is expected to be completed by Tuesday.
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The first body was recovered last Wednesday, and three others were found on Saturday.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that the mine had been abandoned 12 years ago and was under the Assam Mineral Development Corporation until three years ago.
He also noted that the leader of the workers involved had been arrested, and police investigations are ongoing.
In a related development, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has called for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the tragedy, alleging that “illegal mining continues unchecked” in Assam due to “weak law enforcement and local complicity.”
