From Saurav Bora
GUWAHATI: He was lucky not to be trapped inside a “flooded” rat-hole mine in Meghalaya with fellow miners. Twenty-one year old Sayeb Ali not only lives to recount his ordeal but claims there might be more miners stranded inside.
According to figures reported, approximately 13 miners were trapped inside after water from multiple channels flooded the 350-foot mine in East Jaintia Hills, with rescue operations by NDRF and SDRF personnel in full swing over the past three days.
Till Sunday evening, none could be traced though with the water posing a major hindrance to the operations.
“About 18 miners, including myself, were engaged inside the mine and four others over ground when the incident took place around 8.30am on Thursday. Three miners, Shaher Islam, 28, Amir Hussain, 28, and Monirul Islam, 24, are still trapped inside. They belong to my native village, Panbari, in Chirang district (western Assam),” Sayeb told The Shillong Times over phone from Panbari on Sunday.
“There was another who said he was from Nepal. So I can say that four more miners might be stuck inside,” Sayeb, who was engaged at the mine since 12 days before the mishap took place, said.
Asked how he could say that there were 17 inside, the young man said, “I have the documents of the trio from my village with me. On Thursday evening, I had moved to another place, about five km away, and stayed there overnight.
Hence I could not submit the documents to the authorities. The next day, I contacted my elder brother, Saizal Islam, and he along with a relative of Shaher had come to Meghalaya, to take me home.”
Recounting the events leading up to the mishap, Sayeb said, “The mining operation had started early in the morning that day. My task was to go inside the mine and fetch coal in a box connected to a crane. I was on my way up inside a coal laden box and about five feet away from reaching the surface when I heard the sound of stormy wind from inside. As I looked down, I was terrified at the sight of water filling up the mine to over 250 feet or more. In a matter of a few minutes, the entire channel was flooded. But I managed to reach the ground but not before water reaching the top. I was drenched but managed to jump out of the box to the ground,” Sayeb recalled.
“It was near impossible to save our fellow workers as the mine was flooded and water from inside had spilled over ground,” he said, as he struggled to come to terms with the mishap.
Sayeb says he has been working in various coal mines of Meghalaya for the past eight to nine years.
“The fellow workers, who are also my neighbours in Panbari, too were engaged in coal mines for several years. Here at home, we have to do menial work for a paltry Rs 150 per day. But there in Meghalaya, we can get up to Rs 2000 per day for a shift of about seven hours,” he reasoned, when asked what motivated him to do a job fraught with danger.
On the mood at home, Sayeb said, “There is a pall of gloom… hard to explain. The houses of the trio are located within a kilometre of mine. While my mother (S. Bibi) was relieved to see me alive, hopes are apparently fading among the villagers whether the three would be alive till now or not. Both Shaher and Amir have minor children, which makes it all the more sad.”
Asked whether he would ever go back to do what he has been doing to eke out a living, he said, “Not really. For the time being, I am too terrified about what has happened. So I would have to look for a job in my village now.”