The miners were trapped after water flooded the mine on January 6. According to reports, a few managed to come out, but most could not. One body was retrieved on Wednesday
GUWAHATI: The fourth day of rescue operations at the coal mine in 3 Kilo of Dima Hasao district on Thursday, December 9 drew a blank as no miner could be found. The operations that started at 6:50 AM were called off at 6:30 PM.
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According to sources at the site of the incident, water level has come down to around 50-60 feet after dewatering by a 25 HP pump of the ONGC. “The Navy has requisitioned two more pumps,” a source said to GPlus. According to the source, the Navy’s deep divers can only go in when the water level is 40 feet.
“The water in the well is murky, and visibility is almost zero,” the source further added. “When divers go in and splash around, the action raises more mud making the water even murkier.”
Besides the Navy, other agencies involved in the rescue operation include the Army, Assam Rifles, NDRF, SDRF and the police.
The miners were trapped after water flooded the mine on January 6. According to reports, a few managed to come out, but most could not. One body was retrieved on Wednesday.
Asked whether there was any confirmation of the number of miners trapped inside, the source said it was still not clear. “In the case of illegal activity, such records are not kept or not revealed,” he said. The owner of the mine, one Punish Nunisa, has been arrested for running it without authorisation. The arrest was made on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Assam Mineral Development Corporation Ltd saying the mine is unauthorised.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has, however, released the names of nine trapped miners.
