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Bodies of three workers trapped inside a coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district were recovered from the quarry today, taking the total bodies recovered so far to four. They were among nine workers who were trapped inside the mine on Monday after a sudden gush of water flooded the quarry.
The first one was brought out from the mine in Umrangsu on Wednesday.
One of the three labourers whose body was recovered from the mine this morning was identified as 27-year-old Ligen Magar, a resident of Dima Hasao. The identification of two other bodies is underway, an official said.
"Rescue efforts in Umrangsu continue with unwavering resolve. Our hearts go out to the grieving, as we hold onto hope and strength in this difficult time," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X.
The identity of the recovered body has been confirmed as Ligen Magar, aged approximately 27 years, a resident of 1 No. Umrangshu, Dima Hasao, Assam. https://t.co/jKQ2tuUIKU
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 11, 2025
Dewatering of the quarry, which is about 310 feet deep, continued with specialised machines brought in by ONGC and Coal India.
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Mr Sarma had earlier claimed that the mine was abandoned 12 years ago and was under the Assam Mineral Development Corporation till three years ago.
''It was not an illegal mine but an abandoned one. The workers had entered the mine that day for the first time to extract coal," he said on Friday.
He said the leader of the workers has been arrested and the police are conducting investigations into the case.
What's Hampering Assam Mine Rescue
Multiple teams from various central and state organisations and all three arms of the Indian Armed Forces - the Army, Navy and Air Force - are involved in the operation to rescue the labourers who have been trapped in a flooded mine in Assam.
The water that gushed into the 3 Kilo Coal Quarry in Umrangsu, rescuers said, is now acidic and murky because it has mixed with coal. This has made visibility and manoeuvrability very difficult even for the team from the Navy, which includes clearance divers trained in deep-depth diving and recovery operations.
The divers from the rescue teams, they said, had to risk their lives to pull out the body that they did on Wednesday.
The murky water, an official said, is making it difficult even to use remote-operated vehicles.
Another aspect that is making locating the labourers difficult is that the 310-foot deep main shaft leads to four small tunnels in the 'rat-hole' mine, each of which branches out, creating a large network. There is no blueprint available for the rescue teams to refer to.
Speaking to News Agency on Wednesday, a worker at the mine, Jalaluddin, had said that the height of some of 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," he said.