The body of one of the nine laborers trapped in the ‘Rat Hole’ mine at Umrangso in Dima Hasao district of Assam has been recovered. At the same time, 8 people have not been traced yet. Many teams are engaged in rescue work. Teams of the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy are also working day and night to rescue the trapped labourers. The teams involved in the rescue operation are facing many obstacles.
VIDEO | Rescue operation underway to bring out workers who are trapped in illegal ‘rat hole’ mine in Umrangso, Assam.
“A body was recovered yesterday in a diving operation but after that, there has been no success. The diving operation is underway,” says NDRF commandant HPS… pic.twitter.com/HMAI5Rbl9T
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 9, 2025
Coal has been found in the water filled inside the mine. The Navy team does not have clear visibility inside. Due to this, divers are not able to get a correct idea of what the situation is inside. Divers had to work hard to retrieve the body that was recovered on Wednesday.
According to an official, the water has become so dirty that even the remote operated equipment inside is not working. The mine is about 310 feet deep, in which many pumps have been installed to drain the filled water. On Wednesday, an expert team from Western Coalfields Limited, which is considered expert in working in such operations, also reached the spot.
The team has installed a big submersible pump to remove water. According to the Western Coalfields team, 5 of their people arrived here on January 8 via a special C-130 Hercules aircraft. The pump that the team has installed inside the mine can pump 500 gallons of water per minute at a depth of 150 feet.
About 100 feet of water in the mine
At present, 100 feet of water remains to be extracted from the mine. The workers had made four small tunnels along the side of the mine. According to an employee, some tunnels are only three feet wide. It is not easy to stand here. While sitting, only 4-5 inches of space is left above the head. According to Special Director General of Police Harmeet Singh, water is being drained from the tunnels, but water is again seeping from the ground and filling the tunnels. Due to this, there is continuous delay in rescue operations.
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