SHILLONG: The list of miners trapped in the rat-hole mine at Ksan in East Jaintia Hills district could grow from 15 to 16 if a claim made on Friday by the family of one Kuti Miyan that he, too, was in the ill-fated mine when the accident took place on December 13 turns out to be true.
Kalamuddin, brother of Kuti Miyan, on Friday told The Shillong Times that the family had approached the authorities the very next day and reported about his brother also being in the mine. The family had also subsequently lodged a report with Assam police. “However, his name is not there in the list even today,” he said.
Kalamuddin hails from Lanka in Hojai district of Assam.
He said he had approached the Khliehriat police station officer-in-charge at Ksan on Thursday. “I was told to report at the police station today (Friday),” he said. After initial checking, Kalamuddin was referred to the SDO’s office to file his claim.
“We filed the claim at the SDO’s office,” he said adding all necessary documents, including Assam Police report etc, were also submitted. “We have been told that we will be informed after two-three days and then we can come and collect the cheque,” he said. The Meghalaya government had earlier announced an amount of Rs one lakh as interim relief each for the victims.
Kalamuddin’s brother-in-law Aminuluddin had also worked at the same mine, but had gone home to vote in the Assam panchayat elections when the accident happened trapping the 15 miners besides Kuti Miyan.
Kuti Miyan’s immediate family consists of his wife and three children with the eldest, a son, aged 15 years.
Immediately after the accident, the administration had given out 13 names of miners having been trapped. The number was subsequently scaled up to 15 with two more claims being filed.
