Meghalaya – Indian Navy Recovers Body Of A Trapped Miner

Indian Navy divers, on the 17th of January, 2019, recovered a body from a mine located in Meghalaya. The Indian Navy, with the help of an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV,) spotted the body.

Since the 13th of December, 2018, fifteen miners are trapped in a 370 feet water flooded rat hole coal mine located in East Jaintia Hills. The Meghalaya Government called for joint rescue operations with the help of the National Defence Rescue Force (NDRF,) the State Defence Rescue Operation Force (SDRF,) the Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) and Odisha Fire Services (OFS.)

S.S. Syiemlieh, Additional Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills, said, “Yes, the Navy operated ROV has found a dead body. They will operate it again today.” He further added, “The depth is 160 feet (and not 60 feet) and the body has been pulled upto the mouth of rat-hole mine and shall be extracted out of the mine under the supervision of doctors.”

On the 16th of January, 2019, the Meghalaya Cabinet held a meeting regarding the continuity of the rescue operations. The members present at the meeting were Conrad Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, and James Sangma, the Home Minister of Meghalaya.

Speaking about the rescue operations to save the miners, Prestone Tenosyng, the Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya, said, “Till today (Wednesday,) the rescue operation is still on. In the next few days, the district administration and the department concerned will meet the experts who are in ground zero. They tried their best and they are doing it till today… let us see for how many more days.”

Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) also ordered the State to continue the rescue operations till the rescue team does not get the miners out of the mine ‘dead or alive.’

A bench of the SC, led by Justice A.K. Sikri, said, “Carry on with your rescue efforts, what if all or at least some are still alive? Miracles do happen.”

The joint rescue operations are still underway to find the 14 other miners trapped inside the coal mine.

Stay tuned for further updates about the story.

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