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A body was recovered and eight people are still trapped after water gushed into a 340-foot deep 'rat-hole' mine in Assam and flooded it on Monday. While several teams, including one from the Navy, are engaged in rescue operations, officials have said that the chances of the remaining miners being rescued alive are slim.
Some people who were in the mines managed to escape and some others were fortunate not to be working the shift during which the flooding occurred, but they are all desperate for any news because they have friends trapped in the mine.
H Islam said he arrived in Umrangso to work in the Assam Coal Quarry situated in the 3 Kilo area last week and was working his first shift on Monday when the flooding occurred. He recounted hearing a gush of water and people shouting for help. He said he had practically no safety gear and got lucky because a stream of water carried him to the surface.
"We started work around 6.30 am and, an hour later, I heard people shouting. I called out to one of the people I know, whom I call 'Mama' and told him, 'Mama, there's water. run quickly if you want to live'. I managed to make it halfway out when the force of the water knocked me down. The rope and cloth around my head fell... We had no helmets, just a cloth... I figured that the flowing water would take me out to the surface and I lay down, and that's exactly what happened. I got saved," the survivor said.
Another worker, Jalaluddin, interjected and said no safety gear is provided to them. He said he was not working the shift that day but four of the 10 people he shares a room with did. Only one of them has come back.
Asked about conditions in the mine, he said, "It is 300 feet deep and then there are many tunnels, which are linked to each other. The height in the tunnels is barely three feet, there is no room to even stand, and we have to bend and mine for coal. Even when sitting, the roof is just 4-5 inches above our heads."
Divers On The Job
The Ministry of Defence said the Navy team that is involved in the rescue operation includes clearance divers trained in deep-depth diving and recovery operations.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said more de-watering pumps are being sent to the site.
"The rescue operation is in full swing with Army and NDRF divers having already entered the well. Navy personnel are on-site, making final preparations to dive in after them. Meanwhile, State Disaster Rescue Force (SDRF) de-watering pumps have departed from Umrangshu for the location. Additionally, the ONGC de-watering pump has been loaded onto an MI-17 helicopter at Kumbhigram, awaiting weather clearance for deployment," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.