Assam coal mine tragedy: Navy divers deployed to rescue 9 workers trapped in Dima Hasao quarry, 1 arrested
Deep divers of the Indian Navy have been deployed to assist authorities in the rescue operation of nine labourers trapped in a coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district since Monday evening after a sudden gush of water flooded the site. According to authorities, the water level inside the quarry has risen alarmingly to nearly 100 feet.
Navy divers were flown from Visakhapatnam to assist a 30-member team of the National Disaster Response Force and another team of the State Disaster Response Force with eight personnel stationed at the site to rescue the trapped workers.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the coal mine appears to have been “operating illegally” and that a case under relevant sections of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, has been registered to probe the incident.
The Chief Minister also said that one person, identified as Punish Nunisa, has been arrested in connection with the case.
RESCUE EFFORTS UNDERWAY
The rescue efforts, which began shortly after the flooding incident, have seen collaboration between multiple agencies, including the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, and local authorities. Specialists such as sappers, divers, and medical teams have been deployed to the site with advanced equipment.
“Engineers task force with equipment, divers, and medical teams from the Indian Army and the Assam Rifles have joined the rescue efforts,” a defence spokesperson told news agency PTI. Two water pumping machines have also been pressed into service to flush out water from the mine.
Despite continuous efforts, none of the trapped workers have been rescued so far.
Initial reports suggested that around 15 workers were inside the mine when a sudden gush of water flooded the site, though the authorities have only confirmed the names of nine individuals.
The trapped labourers have been identified as Ganga Bahadur Shreth, Hussain Ali, Jakir Hussain, Sarpa Barman, Mustafa Seikh, Khushi Mohan Rai, Sanjit Sarkar, Lijan Magar, and Sarat Goyary.
Eyewitnesses’ accounts and initial assessments indicated that the flooding occurred without warning, leaving the workers unable to escape.
