A recent mining accident in Dima Hasao, Assam, has brought great sadness to many families. Junu Pradhan is one of those affected; her husband, Lijen Magar, was just 27 years old and the main provider for their family. Tragically, he died in the accident, leaving Junu with a two-month-old baby to care for. She feels completely lost and said, “I don’t know what will be our future. I am now totally helpless.”
Lijen was one of nine workers trapped in a flooded rat-hole coal mine after heavy water entered the mine on January 6. The first body found was Ganga Bahadur Shreth from Nepal, recovered on January 8. By January 11, three more bodies were recovered, including Lijen’s. Rescue operations are still ongoing as five miners remain missing.
Junu shared her heartbreak, saying, “That day was the first working day of the mine, and my husband went to work. I don’t know how I will raise my child alone.”
As the search continues, authorities are working hard to find the remaining trapped workers. So far, rescue teams have found four bodies. “We will keep trying to rescue the others after the water is cleared away,” said Inspector NDRF Roshan Kumar Nath.
A team from Coal India has also arrived to help, and the Assam Chief Minister has ordered an investigation into the accident. One person has already been arrested for their role in this illegal mine. MP Gaurav Gogoi has even written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into what happened.
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