Dima Hasao (Assam)2 hours agoAuthor: Yogesh Dubey
Army and Assam Rifles personnel have entered the mine using trolleys, so that the workers can be taken out.
On Monday, a 300 feet deep coal mine in Umrangso in Dima Hasao district of Assam was suddenly filled with water, trapping 9 workers inside. The information about the workers being trapped was received 34 hours ago at around 7 am on Monday. Now the army has been deployed to rescue these workers.
NDRF and SDRF teams are also helping. Assam Mining Minister Kaushik Rai is present at the spot. The Engineers Task Force along with divers and medical teams from the Indian Army and Assam Rifles have joined the rescue.
In some reports, it was said that dead bodies of three laborers were seen. But when Bhaskar spoke to SP Mayank Kumar Jha, he said that no body was seen. The police have arrested the mine owner Puneesh Nunisa.
According to reports, this is a mine of rat miners. It is filled with water up to 100 feet, which is being removed with the help of two motors.
4 pictures of the rescue operation…
This mine is about 300 feet deep. It takes about 7 hours to reach here from the district headquarters Haflong.
Divers from the Army and Assam Rifles prepared to enter the mine with oxygen cylinders.
Two motors have been installed to remove water up to 100 feet deep in the mine.
Divers have been sent to the mine for rescue through trolley.
Eyewitness said – suddenly water came, did not get a chance to get out
Dima Hasao district SP Mayank Jha said that there is a possibility of many laborers being trapped in the mine. According to the statement of eyewitnesses, suddenly water came, due to which the workers could not come out of the mine. Rescue operations have been started with teams of emergency response team, local officials and mining experts. The workers trapped in the mine are being traced.
Names of workers trapped in Umrangso coal mine
- Ganga Bahadur Shreth, Rampur (Dummana-2 Bhejpur), PS Thoksila, District: Udaipur, Nepal
- Hussain Ali, Bagribari, Thana Shyampur, District: Darrang, Assam
- Zakir Hussain, 4 No. Sialmari Khuti, Thana Dalgaon, District: Darrang, Assam
- Sarpa Barman, Khalisnimari, Thana Gosaigaon, District: Kokrajhar, Assam
- Mustafa Shaikh, Bagribari, PS Dalgaon, Dist: Darrang, Assam
- Khusi Mohan Rai, Majergaon, Thana Fakirgram, District: Kokrajhar, Assam
- Sanjit Sarkar, Raichenga, District: Jalpaiguri, West Bengal
- Lijan Magar, Assam Coal Mine, PS Umrangso, Dist: Dima Hasao, Assam
- Sarat Goyari, Thilapara, Batashipur, Post Office Panbari, Dist: Sonitpur, Assam
15 rat hole miners were killed in 2018 also
A similar accident took place in East Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya in 2018. Where 15 laborers were trapped and died in the coal mine. On December 13, 20 miners had entered the 370 feet deep mine, out of which 5 workers had come out before filling with water. 15 laborers could not be saved.
What is rat hole mining?
Rat means rat, hole means hole and mining means digging. It is clear that entering the hole and digging like a rat. In this, digging is started from the side of the mountain with a thin hole and after making a pole, it is gradually drilled with a small hand drilling machine. The debris is taken out manually.
A process called rat hole mining has been commonly used in coal mining. Rat hole mining takes place in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and North East, but rat hole mining is a very dangerous work, hence it has been banned many times.
Rat mining was imposed by NGT in 2014 ban
Rat mining was invented by workers working in coal mines. National Green Tribunal, i.e. NGT, had banned it in 2014. Experts had called it an unscientific method. However, rat mining is not banned in special circumstances, i.e. rescue operations.
