New Delhi: The Army has launched an urgent rescue operation after nine labourers were trapped inside a coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district on Monday. The workers have been stuck in the Assam Coal Quarry at Umrangso after a sudden flood submerged the mine.
A relief task force, including divers, sappers, engineers, and medical teams, has been mobilised to the site to assist in the rescue operation. The teams are working in close coordination with local authorities, including the civil administration, the NDRF and the SDRF to rescue the miners.
A defence spokesperson said, “Engineers task force with equipment, divers, and medical teams from the Indian army and the Assam Rifles have joined the rescue efforts.” Additionally, two water-pumping machines have been deployed to flush out the water.
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Assam CM expresses gratitude
The chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, expressed gratitude for the swift response from the Army. In a post on social media platform X, Sarma wrote, “Much gratitude for this quick response. We are deploying all possible efforts to ensure the safe return of our miners.”
The trapped labourers, who were working at the Assam Coal Quarry in the 3 Kilo area of Umrangso, were caught in the flood that happened unexpectedly. Initial reports suggest that there were around 15 workers in the mine at the time of the incident, though authorities have not confirmed the exact number. Eyewitnesses state that the flooding left the workers unable to escape.
Army’s Pathfinder Team from the 32 Assam Rifles at the sight
The chief minister later named the trapped miners as Ganga Bahadur Shreth, Hussain Ali, Jakir Hussain, Sarpa Barman, Mustafa Seikh, Khushi Mohan Rai, Sanjit Sarkar, Lijan Magar, and Sarat Goyary. The Assam government has confirmed that rescue teams are working tirelessly to locate and extricate them.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the Army’s Pathfinder Team from the 32 Assam Rifles arrived at the site for an initial assessment. An Engineer Task Force (ETF), led by the Commanding Officer of an Engineer Regiment, alongside PARA diving specialists, has been deployed to assist in the rescue. An aerial reconnaissance mission is also underway, with a helicopter carrying senior officials from the Dimapur-based Corps HQ, Assam Rifles, and the PARA unit for aerial assessments.
