SHILLONG, June 4: Rescue operations under way at the Umpleng mine in East Jaintia Hills on Friday. The recurring rain has pushed up the water level in the 500-ft deep pit by approximately 7 feet. While officials and rescuers present at the site said that five people have remained trapped in the flooded mines, the count could be higher as mining was being done since Sunday afternoon in shifts.
Thirty-five NDRF personnel, 15 from SDRF, 7 from Fire and Emergency Service and some former miners including a former Sirdar (contractor) have been undertaking the rescue efforts.
Those present at the site are of the opinion that actual rescue might not take place unless water is pumped out.
The NDRF has three divers in its team equipped with diving gears but the water level is too high at the moment for divers to recce the bottom of the mine and the horizontal rat holes to search for survivors.