Race Against Time in Assam to Rescue Miners, Ops Intensified

Anxiety mounted in a remote corner of Assam on Tuesday as army and navy personnel joined operations to rescue people trapped 300 feet under the ground in a flooded coal mine in the Dima Hasao district, marking the second day of frenetic but still-unsuccessful efforts to save the workers.

- Utpal Parashar

Confusion prevailed throughout the day as some officials suggested that nine people were trapped in the mine and others said that the number could be as high as 15. Navy divers joined the efforts, hours after personnel from the Indian Army, National Disaster Relief Force and State Disaster Relief Force spotted some helmets and slippers floating on the water.

This gave rise to speculation that some people were dead, but officials denied an earlier report from the state information department that said three bodies were spotted on the surface of the water.

The only suspicion that gathered certainty was that the mine was illegal; as a result, potentially unregulated operations and no proper stocktaking made it difficult to ascertain the exact number of people trapped.

"Prima facie, it appears to be an illegal mine," said chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, adding that one person was arrested and a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder filed against the man who operated the mine.