TWO DAYS ON, FIVE STILL TRAPPED IN MEGHALAYA MINE AS HEAVY RAINFALL HITS RESCUE OPS

SHILLONG: Heavy rainfall on Tuesday hampered operations to rescue at least five miners trapped for two days deep inside an illegal rat-hole coal pit in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district, officials said.

The district administration has identified five miners four from Assam and one from Tripura who were trapped at the coal pit in the remote Umpleng area of Sutnga Elaka since Sunday when a dynamite blast had led to the flooding of the coal mine.

Superintendent of Police in neighbouring Assams Silchar district had sent information to the authorities here about the possibility of six miners of his state being trapped in the mine.

“Heavy rainfall hampered rescue operations. Twenty- five personnel of the State Disasterresponse Force (SDRF), and fire service personnel are at the site.

“We are trying to mobilise a crane to first ascertain the depth of the mine,” said district deputy commissioner E Kharmalki. A high-powered pump has also been requisitioned but this would be put into operation once the divers can go inside the pit to find out if anyone is alive, he said.

The district administration has put out a public notice seeking information about the accident on May 30.

“Anyone having any knowledge about this matter is requested to depose at the office of the deputy commissioner between 11 am and 3 pm on or before June 8,” the order said.

Locals said the possibility of any of the trapped miners coming out alive is slim. “The mine is vertically dug for over 100 feet until a coal seam is met. Then a network of smaller vertical holes is dug across to collect the coal. An inundated mine means that the entire network of holes is also flooded,” an elder of Sutnga Elaka said.