Shillong(Meghalaya), June 1 :Heavy rainfall on Tuesday hampered operations to rescue at least five miners trapped for two days deep inside an illegal rat-hole coal pit in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district, officials said.
The district administration has identified five miners — four from Assam and one from Tripura — who were trapped at the coal pit in the remote Umpleng area of Sutnga Elaka since Sunday when a dynamite blast had led to the flooding of the coal mine.
Superintendent of Police in neighbouring Assams Silchar district had sent information to the authorities in Shillong about the possibility of six miners of his state being trapped in the mine.
“As of now, heavy rainfall is hampering rescue operations. Twenty-five personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and fire service personnel are at the site. We are trying to mobilise a crane to first ascertain the depth of the mine,” district deputy commissioner E Kharmalki said.
Source : PTI
