SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma has admitted that they don’t expect any more survivors at Ksan mine where 16 coal miners were feared dead after a tragedy had struck the illegal coal mine on December 13 last year.
Talking to media persons here on the sidelines of the oath-taking ceremony of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya on Tuesday, Conrad Sangma said that the State Government was hopeful that the Supreme Court would allow the state government to stop the rescue operations at the illegal coal mine in Ksan, East Jaintia Hills.
“We have appealed and we will wait and see. We are obviously clear at this point that we don’t expect survivors to be there,” said Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday.
Over five months and counting since the tragedy struck on December 13, the ongoing rescue operations despite the involvement of multiple agencies have failed to yield the desired result.
Admitting that the rescue operations have proved to be difficult for all the stakeholders, Conrad Sangma reiterated that efforts were made to rescue the trapped miners.
It is learnt that the Supreme Court will resume hearing on the PIL pertaining to the rescue operations in Ksan only in July after the summer vacation.
The tragedy struck the illegal coal mine at Ksan on December 13 last year trapping as many as 16 coal miners. Even after the massive rescue operations involving multiple agencies, only two bodies could be retrieved.
Several of the coal miners, who are feared dead, hail from Rajabala in West Garo Hills.