Hope fades for trapped mine workers

PURULIA: The army on Sunday abandoned hope of finding any survivor inside the flooded mine of Guntikuri in the district where some miners have reportedly been trapped for the last six days.

Defence sources said there was no justification in conducting any search operation in the flooded mine where the possibility of any survivor at Neturia was absolutely bleak.

However, local police officials were camping near the mine which was flooded by the rain-fed Damodar river.

The rescuers of the Eastern Coalfield Limited earlier tried to enter the flooded mine but failed in their mission.

Although no missing diary was lodged with the local police station, the villagers said that 25 to 30 persons had entered the mine for illegally tapping coal.