At least three of the nine workers trapped in a flooded coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district have died, though their bodies have not yet been recovered, more than 24 hours after the mishap. Six others remain trapped, officials reported on Tuesday, January 7.
The incident occurred on January 6, when the workers became trapped in the ‘3 Kilo’ coal mine in Umrangso, a remote, hilly area of Dima Hasao. A rescue operation was launched with 30 personnel from the NDRF, 8 from the SDRF, as well as army and navy officers.
“A helicopter carrying senior officials, including the Chief Engineer of Dimapur based Corps HQ, Inspector General Assam Rifles (East), and the CO PARA unit, is also underway for a reconnaissance and provide aerial assessment and guide further operations,” Indian Army said in a statement.
Additionally, specialist divers, the Engineers Task Force with necessary equipment, and medical teams from the Army and Assam Rifles have joined the rescue efforts. According to the latest update from the State Government, Navy deep divers have been requisitioned to assist in the operation.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday, January 7, said Navy deep divers have been requisitioned to assist in the rescue operation. “Navy deep divers have been requisitioned to assist in the rescue operation. The water level inside the mine has risen to nearly 100 feet, according to the assessment by the stationed team. The divers are flying in from Visakhapatnam and are expected to arrive soon (sic),” Sarma wrote on X.
In addition to ground support, the Army has deployed aerial resources for an enhanced operational overview.
The trapped workers, according to a list shared by the CM on X, include Ganga Bahadur Shreth (Nepal), Hussain Ali (Darrang), Jakir Hussain (Darrang), Sarpa Barman (Kokrajhar), Mustafa Seikh (Darrang), Khusi Mohan Rai (Kokrajhar), Sanjit Sarkar (West Bengal), Lijan Magar (Dima Hasao), and Sarat Goyary (Sonitpur).
The site is located near the Assam-Meghalaya border, where a similar mining disaster occurred in 2018, resulting in the deaths of 15 workers in a flooded rat-hole mine.
