Assam mine tragedy: Stubborn water levels hinder rescue operation on fourth day

Assam mine tragedy: Stubborn water levels hinder rescue operation on fourth day

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GUWAHATI: Murky water and a static water level, despite continuous dewatering, have posed significant challenges to agenciesattempting to rescue miners trapped in a rat-hole coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district.

The Indian Navy, Army, NDRF, SDRF, ONGC, Coal India Limited (CIL), and the district administration are involved in the rescue mission. However, their efforts on Thursday, which lasted from dawn to dusk, yielded no success.

For the third consecutive day, water was pumped out of the 300-ft deep mine, but the water level remains over 100 ft.

“Dewatering is ongoing, but the water is not receding,” said District Magistrate Simanta Das.

“We discovered four abandoned wells (mines) nearby. These wells, likely abandoned before the ban on rat-hole coal mining, are now overgrown with trees but still contain water. We need to assess whether dewatering these wells is feasible,” Das added.

Special DGP Harmeet Singh stated on Wednesday that the mine appears to be connected to an external water source, preventing the water level from dropping.

The mine contains several horizontal tunnels, ranging from 150 to 200 meters in length. These tunnels are so narrow that it is nearly impossible for divers to navigate them while carrying oxygen cylinders.

Officials said that the murky water severely limits visibility for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), forcing divers to use their hands to search for the trapped miners. The rescuers will only be able to access the eight trapped miners once the water is removed.

On Wednesday, the body of one miner, a resident of Nepal, was recovered from the bottom of the pit.

To expedite the rescue, CIL has transported a high-capacity pump from Maharashtra capable of pumping 500 gallons per minute. This pump is expected to be operational on Friday.

According to survivor Rajib Barman, a resident of Assam’s Kokrajhar, at least 20 workers were in the mine on the morning of January 6 when the incident occurred.

“Around 4:30 am, we entered the mine. After about two hours, I suddenly heard people screaming, warning us that water had entered the mine and we needed to flee,” Barman told reporters.

“I soon encountered the water but managed to reach the shaft, which was already flooded. We tried to save ourselves by grabbing ropes, motor pipes, and other objects. Eventually, we saw a basket (trolley) descending. Around 10 to 12 of us boarded it and escaped. Unfortunately, three of my friends—two from Assam and one from West Bengal—are still trapped,” he added.