The Supreme Court (SC,) on Friday, directed the Meghalaya Government to continue rescue operations to save the fifteen miners trapped in a flooded 370 feet deep rat hole coal mine in Meghalaya since the 13th of December, 2018.
After several joint operations and efforts by multiple rescue teams, the situation of the miners is still the same.
The Court also sought a report about the progress of the rescue operations and asked the Meghalaya Government to take strict actions against the practice of illegal mining in the State. The next hearing about the rescue operations is scheduled on the 18th of January.
Speaking about the progress, the Meghalaya Government said, the Odisha Fire Service (OFS,) the Kolkata’s Kirloskar Pumps (KBL,) the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF,) with high powered pumps drained out 2.1 crore litres of water from the mine, but the water level inside the mine is said to be the same. The State also informed the SC, the people who were practising illegal mining techniques, even after a ban on the same in 2014, were arrested.
R. Susngi, the spokesperson of the Operation, said, “The Navy has conducted searches in at least six mines, including in the main shaft, for the trapped diggers, but there has been no success.” He further added, “At the vertical shaft of the mine, the water level is about 160 feet deep rendering the rescue divers from the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force unable to perform safe diving as it is beyond their 100 feet diving capacity.”
However, rescue teams are still conducting the search operations and are trying to reach the adjacent mines for the rescue of the fifteen miners.
Stay tuned for further updates about the story.
