Divers from the Indian Navy again entered a flooded coal mine in a remote district of Assam on Thursday, as rescue efforts intensified for the third day to save the trapped miners.
Assam Mines and Minerals Minister Kaushik Rai on Wednesday said that only one body had been recovered from the mine located in Assam’s hilly Dima Hasao district.
Speaking to ANI, Rai said, “One body has been recovered. An Army team has dived into the mine again, and the Navy team will also participate. We have started the process of dewatering the mine. Some reports suggest that 10-12 people are trapped. Once the water level decreases, we will be able to confirm the exact number.”
HPS Kandari, Commandant of the 1st Battalion, NDRF, said, “A deep-diver team from the Indian Navy has entered the 300-foot-deep coal mine.” Kandari added that a heavy water pump from Coal India had been airlifted to Silchar and would soon be transported to the site.
Inspector Roshan Kumar Singh, team commander of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), said that the water level inside the mine had not decreased despite using heavy pumps to drain the water. The rescue team is using sonar equipment, but continued water inflow is hindering progress, he added.
