Saturday , January 11 2025

Body of second miner recovered from flooded coal mine, rescue operation continues


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The body of one more of the nine miners trapped in the flooded Rat-Hole coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district was recovered on Saturday, January 11, 2025. The body was recovered during a joint rescue operation by the Army and Navy.

Body of second miner recovered

At 7:36 am, the body of Lieutenant Lijen Magar was recovered from the mine. But he was a resident of Nepal. Earlier, on January 8, the body of another miner was recovered.
So far, bodies of two of the nine miners have been recovered, while the search for the remaining seven is ongoing.

Drop in mine water level

The water level in the Rat-Hole coal mine dropped by seven meters on Friday. The district administration said this reduction was possible due to the process of draining water from three abandoned mines located within 500 meters of the mine.

  • Dima Hasao District Magistrate Simant Kumar Das said the water level has declined due to the network of narrow tunnels connected to these three mines.
  • These mines were closed even before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned rat-hole mining in 2014.

police action

Police have detained the financier of the mining operations in a settlement about three kilometers from the mine.

  • This mine is located 15 kilometers from Kalamati and 30 kilometers from the industrial town Umrangso.
  • Umrangso has a cement plant and a hydroelectric project of a central public sector company.

What is rat-hole mining?

In rat-hole mining, coal is extracted through narrow tunnels.

  • This mining method is considered illegal and dangerous.
  • In April 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned it due to environmental damage and risks.

Challenge of rescue operation

  • The mine’s complex tunnel network and waterlogging are hindering rescue operations.
  • However, the administration and rescue teams have assured safe evacuation of the remaining miners.