GUWAHATI, Jan. 6: A group of labourers are feared to be trapped inside a coal mine situated in the Umrangso area of central Assam’s Dima Hasao district, reports said on Monday evening.
According to reports, the incident occurred after water had gushed inside the mine. Rescue operations are reported to be underway at the site.
However, there has been no official confirmation in regard to the number of labourers trapped inside the mine.
Expressing concern over the incident, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is currently in Mumbai, took to social media to state, “Distressing news from Umrangso, where labourers are trapped in a coal mine. The exact number and status are yet unknown. The DC, SP, and my colleague, (minister of mines and minerals) Kaushik Rai, are rushing to the site. Praying to God for everyone’s safety.”
The chief minister further informed that the state government has requested the Army’s assistance in the ongoing operations to rescue the trapped labourers.
“The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are also on their way to the incident site to aid in the efforts,” Sarma said on Monday evening.