Assam Coal Mine Tragedy: Bodies Of 4 Miners Recovered, Search On For 5 Labourers

Guwahati: Three bodies were recovered on Saturday from the flooded coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district where nine workers were feared trapped since Monday.

The total number of bodies recovered so far from the Assam Coal Quarry, located in Umrangso area, is four, while five labourers are still trapped.

As rescue operation by the Army and National Disaster Response Force entered the sixth day, Indian Army personnel brought out a body – later identified as that of local 27-year-old resident Lijan Magar — on Saturday morning.

Later in the day, divers found two more bodies of trapped miners, the state Information department confirmed. Their identity is yet to be ascertained.

“Two bodies were recovered during the ongoing search operations — one by Indian Army Special Forces (21 SF) divers and another by NDRF divers. With this, the total number of bodies recovered so far stands at four,” officials said.

On Wednesday, divers from the Army’s 21 Paras recovered the body of Ganga Bahadur Srestho, a resident of Udaypur in Nepal, from the bottom of the 300-foot-deep mine. Srestho had been trapped under a trolley which was submerged beneath 100 feet of water.

There has been speculation that the number of miners trapped in the flooded mine could exceed nine. However, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told newspersons on Friday that only nine families or acquaintances had reported their loved ones to be missing thus far.

“So far, we have information about nine individuals who were trapped, based on reports from their families. If there are others who don’t have families, or who entered the mine alone or without informing anyone, we have no way of knowing,” Biswa Sarma said.

“Rescue efforts continue in Umrangso with unwavering resolve… Tragically, another body was recovered this morning, with the identity yet to be confirmed. Our hearts go out to the grieving as we hold onto hope and strength during this difficult time,” the chief minister posted on X.

A sudden gush of water flooded the 3-kilo coal quarry at Umrangso on January 6, trapping the labourers who were inside at that point.

Congress MP seeks SIT probe

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to order an SIT probe into the incident.

“Illegal mining continues unchecked in Assam, fuelled by weak law enforcement and local complicity. I have written to the Prime Minister urging an urgent SIT probe to investigate this tragedy. Those responsible for this tragedy must be held accountable. Moreover, broader issues of safety, corruption, and environmental harm need to be addressed too,” Gogoi posted on x.

The quarry’s lease-holder Punish Nunisa, was arrested on Tuesday, while the leader of the trapped workers was nabbed on Thursday.

Police said their ‘sardar’ (leader) Hanan Laskar had fled the site soon after the mishap, but police found him three days later.