Coal mine tragedy in Garo Hills
From Our Correspondent
TURA: In a gruesome tragedy, a group of labourers who were extracting coal from a rat hole mine at Nengkul in Rongsa Awe of Nangalbibra, on Sunday went ‘missing’ after they tragically hit into a wall of an old abandoned mine that was filled with several thousand gallons of water.
The labourers believed to be numbering around 16 were unable to plug the hole as thousands of gallons of water gushed out drowning them inside the mine with no help at hand.
Attempts to pump the water out have so far failed to achieve any success and the bodies are still remaining inside the mine, it was reported.
Meanwhile, in another accident a coal labourer died and several others sustained serious injuries while excavating coal from a mine in Nangalbibra, South Garo Hills, on Sunday.
The heavy machinery that was being used to pull up the extracted coal collapsed after its cables gave way plunging the machine’s crane into the deep pit where the labourers were working.
One of the labourers was crushed to death and as many as six to eight others sustained serious injuries in the accident.
The injured has been rushed to Williamnagar hospital for treatment and the body of the dead labourer removed with the help of local authorities.
Coal mining tragedies are very common in the Garo Hills where rat hole mining is common in place of scientific mining.
