The fate of the eight workers who are trapped inside the flooded coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district remains grim, according to officials. This comes as the body of one of the workers was recovered on Wednesday morning, two days after he got trapped inside the mine.
Though a team of Navy, Army, NDRF and SDRF personnel, who are overseeing the rescue operations, reports emerge that three bodies were seen floating inside the well which is about 300 feet deep. There is water about 100 feet deep.
Meanwhile, officials suggest the accident may have occurred after the workers accidentally struck a water source while mining. This caused a sudden flood which trapped the miners inside the narrow "rat hole" mine shaft. Some of the workers, who managed to come out of the mine, informed the mine owner and the local police about the mishap.
Eyewitness accounts and initial assessments too hint that the flooding was spontaneous and was caused due to the opening up of an underground water channel.
According to State Mines Minister Kaushik Rai, the flooded conditions and visibility issues have made rescue challenging. The rescue workers are undertaking a massive dewatering effort with State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) pumps being brought in from Umrangshu. Though the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has also provided specialised equipment, it is awaiting aerial transport via MI-17 helicopter from Kumbhigram, which can be done only after weather conditions improve.
"One body has been recovered today. 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. Some say there are over 10-12 people trapped inside. When the water level will decrease, we will be in the position to tell the exact number," he told ANI.
Illegal mine
Chief Minister Himanta Sarma Biswa said the mine "appears to be illegal". The police registered a case and arrested a local person, identified as Punish Nunisa, for illegally running the coal mine.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi too questioned how the practice of illegal rat-hole mining continued despite a ban by the National Green Tribunal in 2014. Stating that he was praying for the swift and safe rescue of the miners, Gogoi stressed the need to conduct "thorough and mandatory safety audits of mines" and punish operators who fail to adequately protect workers.