The bodies of three workers trapped inside a coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district were recovered today, taking the total number of bodies retrieved to four. These workers were among nine persons who got trapped on Monday due to a sudden gush of water that flooded the quarry.
Recoveries started on Wednesday from the Umrangsu mine. Among others, 27-year-old Ligen Magar, a resident of the area, was identified today. Identification of the remaining two bodies is underway.
“Rescue operations at Umrangsu are going on with great determination. In the sorrow of the bereaved families, we stay hopeful and strong to support themselves in this critical juncture,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X.
Rescue teams have been dewatering the quarry that extends down about 310 feet at places, with heavy machinery and pumps supplied by ONGC and Coal India. Sarma explained on Thursday that the mine was lying abandoned for the past 12 years and, till three years ago, came under the surveillance of Assam Mineral Development Corporation. “This was not an illegal mine but an abandoned one. The workers had entered for the first time to extract coal,” he said on Friday.
The leader of the workers also has been arrested, and the police have launched an investigation into what caused the accident.
Operation Poses Difficulty for Rescue
The most challenging rescue operation is afoot as innumerable teams, besides the three arms of the Indian Armed Forces Army, Navy and Air Force – from central and state organizations, have joined the race. The water that gushed into the 3 Kilo Coal Quarry in Umrangsu has acquired an acidic and turbid character due to its interaction with coal and hence visibility and maneuverability are badly affected even for the Navy’s clearance divers, who are specially trained for deep-water recovery missions.”.
Rescue divers took immense risks to retrieve the body on Wednesday, wading through murky waters that make their job treacherous. The conditions have also made remote-operated vehicles useless. Adding to the challenge of the rescue is the configuration of the mine. The 310-foot deep main shaft leads to four small tunnels in what is called a ‘rat-hole’ mine, creating a maze without an available blueprint for rescuers to follow.
The height of some tunnels is barely three feet. Hardly room to stand, let alone to maneuver comfortably while mining; even to sit down the roof is barely inches away-just 4 to 5 inches from the heads. ” A mine worker who is known by one name only says, Jalaluddin
