Twitter
Advertisement

Meghalaya: Rescue ops for trapped miners enter day 26, two killed as another coal mine collapses

Two people lost their lives after a coal mine collapsed in Mooknor village of East Jaintia Hills district on Sunday.

Latest News
article-main
Rescue ops at the coal mine at Ksan near Lytei River in East Jaintia Hills entered day 26 today (Photo: AFP)
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Rescue operations for the 15 miners trapped in a Meghalaya mine hit a roadblock on Sunday even as another coal mine mishap in the state took two lives. The fresh incident took place in Mooknor village in East Jaintia Hills on Sunday. 

Meghalaya mine rescue ops day 25 

The miners have been stuck in the mine at Ksan near Lytei River in East Jaintia Hills since December 13 last year.

The two high-powered pumps engaged in dewatering did not operate the whole day after developing technical glitches, and Navy divers could not venture down with no change in the water level, officials said. The high-powered pumps of Kirloskar Brothers Ltd installed Saturday to pump out water from the main shaft, where the miners are trapped since December 13, developed glitches and could not function the whole day.

Another submersible pump from Coal India Ltd (CIL) also faced a snag, affecting dewatering operations in the nearby abandoned mines in East Jaintia Hills district, they said.

Divers from the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) could not venture down to gauge the water level inside the main shaft as it was beyond the safe diving limit of 100 feet, the spokesperson said.

The current water level in the main shaft is about 160 feet, while its total depth is around 370 feet. Rescue work is suspended daily at around 5 pm as night falls. The Kirloskar Brothers pumps could be used for just one hour on Saturday.

Another mine collapse in Meghalaya, 2 dead

In yet another mine-related mishap, two people lost their lives after a coal mine collapsed in Mooknor village on Sunday.

S Nongtnger, SP, East Jaintia Hills said, "It is suspected that boulders hit them while they were trying to extract coal. The investigation is underway to identify the owner of the quarry."

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress on Sunday alleged that the BJP-backed Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government has allowed illegal coal mining within six months of coming to power.

"The BJP and the National People's Party (NPP) had both promised the people of the state to open up coal mining if they were elected to power. Actually, what they did was open up illegal coal mining within six months," Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma told reporters.

(With agencies)

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement