Authorities face challenges in reaching the remote disaster site while illegal coal mining continues to pose safety risks in the region.
Tragedy Strikes as Rescuers Work to Save Miners Trapped in Assam's Flooded Coal Mine
Tragedy Strikes as Rescuers Work to Save Miners Trapped in Assam's Flooded Coal Mine
Rescue operations are ongoing in Assam, India, where miners are trapped in a flooded rat-hole coal mine, with fears that some may have died.
The situation in Assam has taken a grave turn as rescuers scramble to save nine miners trapped in a flooded rat-hole coal mine. Reports suggest that three of the men are feared dead after their bodies were spotted but remain unreachable amidst the rising water levels. The miners became trapped early Monday morning when water inundated the manually dug coal mine located in the remote Dima Hasao district. Despite a nationwide ban on such mining activities since 2014, illegal rat-hole mines persist in Assam and other northeastern states, posing significant risks to the miners' safety.
Authorities have mobilized rescue operations, sending divers, helicopters, and engineers to the scene. The National and State Disaster Response Forces are also assisting the efforts. Assam’s Director General of Police, GP Singh, confirmed that teams were working hard to determine the exact number of people trapped in the mine while reports indicated that some miners managed to escape, suggesting that the total number of trapped individuals would likely remain in single digits.
The mine where the accident occurred is located in a particularly difficult-to-access hilly area. Senior police official Mayank Kumar Jha described the site as "remote," further complicating rescue efforts. Mine disasters have occurred frequently in India's northeastern region; significant incidents include the December 2018 flooding of a mine in Meghalaya, where 15 miners were trapped, with the rescue operations extending into the following year, resulting in only two recoverable bodies. In January 2024, another disaster claimed the lives of six workers following a fire in a rat-hole coal mine in Nagaland. The persistence of such mining activities, despite ongoing risks and regulations, raises urgent questions regarding safety and governance in the sector.
Authorities have mobilized rescue operations, sending divers, helicopters, and engineers to the scene. The National and State Disaster Response Forces are also assisting the efforts. Assam’s Director General of Police, GP Singh, confirmed that teams were working hard to determine the exact number of people trapped in the mine while reports indicated that some miners managed to escape, suggesting that the total number of trapped individuals would likely remain in single digits.
The mine where the accident occurred is located in a particularly difficult-to-access hilly area. Senior police official Mayank Kumar Jha described the site as "remote," further complicating rescue efforts. Mine disasters have occurred frequently in India's northeastern region; significant incidents include the December 2018 flooding of a mine in Meghalaya, where 15 miners were trapped, with the rescue operations extending into the following year, resulting in only two recoverable bodies. In January 2024, another disaster claimed the lives of six workers following a fire in a rat-hole coal mine in Nagaland. The persistence of such mining activities, despite ongoing risks and regulations, raises urgent questions regarding safety and governance in the sector.
