Guwahati, Jan. 13: Five miners remain trapped inside the flooded coal mine in Dima Hasao district’s Umrangso area amid intensive dewatering inside the quarry and multi-agency search operations on the eighth day on Monday.
According to reports, the water level in the affected mine has dropped significantly since the dewatering process was initiated using specialised pumping machines brought to the site (Tin Kilo area) by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Coal India Limited.
Assam minister of mines and minerals Kaushik Rai, who has been monitoring the search and rescue operations at the site since the day of the mishap, said, “The rescue operation continues for the eighth day today. The rescue teams are working day and night with unrelenting diligence and morale.”
“Inspected water levels in surrounding wells with DC, SP and other officials after dewatering efforts,” Rai informed on social media on Monday evening.
According to an official update at 4.30 pm, as many as nine high-power suction pumps were operated to dewater the affected mine while another six pumps were installed for dewatering nearby three mines.
“According to reports received in the early morning, water level in the affected coal mine has decreased by 0.3 metres. The updated water level report has not been received yet,” an official informed.
Notably, multiple agencies, including divers from the Indian Navy along with Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, Assam Rifles and district officials, are carrying out search and rescue operations over eight days so far.
An underwater remote operating vehicle (ROV) is also being operated inside the quarry at regular intervals to capture images of the trapped miners.
“The Indian Navy team moved out from the incident site after the search operations on Monday evening,” the official said.
It may be recalled that nine workers were trapped after water from unascertained sources intruded the mine on January 6 with the four bodies recovered so far. The first body was recovered on January 8, 48 hours after the mishap, while the bodies of three other miners were recovered as the water level inside the flooded mine dropped considerably on Saturday.
According to reports, the chances of survival of the five coal miners trapped inside the mine continue to diminish as the search operations concluded on the eighth day on Monday.
