GUWAHATI: Another body was found on Saturday morning from a coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, where at least nine workers are missing after flooding. This mine, located in the Umrangso area, has seen tragically two bodies recovered since earlier in the week.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared on X that “rescue efforts continue in Umrangso. Sadly, we found another body today, even though we have not identified who it is yet.” The Indian Army is helping in the search. Later, officials identified the body as that of Lijan Magar, a 27-year-old from Umrangso. Earlier, on Wednesday, Ganga Bahadur Srestho from Nepal was found by divers. He was trapped under a cart in about 100 feet of water in a mine that goes nearly 300 feet deep.
GD Tripathi, who leads the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, said, “The second body was found floating in the water. We’re still pumping out the water from the mine, and we hope to find more miners soon.”
There are worries that more than nine miners might be trapped since only nine families reported missing loved ones. Sarma explained, “We only know about nine workers from their families. If others were alone or didn’t tell anyone they went in, we wouldn’t know about them.”
The rescue teams worked through the night, and so far, they have lowered the water level in the mine by about 23 feet using traditional pumps. A stronger pump capable of removing 2,250 liters of water per minute is set to be ready by Saturday.
Additionally, police have detained two individuals in connection with the tragedy. Hanan Laskar, the leader of the mine workers, was arrested after he tried to escape. The mine’s leaseholder, Punish Nunisa, was also arrested earlier.
Leave a Reply