Body Recovered from Flooded Coal Mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao; Rescue Operations Continue
New Delhi: Rescuers recovered a body from a flooded coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, two days after water gushed into the site, trapping nine workers.
A team of 21 Para Divers retrieved the body from the bottom of the mine’s well in Umrangso’s 3 Kilo area. Rescue operations by navy, army, NDRF, and SDRF personnel are ongoing.
The divers, flown in from Visakhapatnam, conducted a reconnaissance before entering the quarry. Meanwhile, SDRF de-watering pumps have been dispatched to the site, and an ONGC de-watering pump has been loaded onto an MI-17 helicopter in Kumbhigram, awaiting weather clearance for deployment.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed discussions with Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy, who assured him that a team from Coal India will join the rescue operations on Wednesday. The water level inside the quarry has reportedly risen to nearly 100 feet, complicating the efforts.
Nine Labourers Trapped in 340-Foot-Deep Quarry Identified; Police Probe Illegal Mining
The nine workers trapped inside the 340-foot-deep quarry in Assam’s Dima Hasao district have been identified as Ganga Bahadur Shreth, Hussain Ali, Jakir Hussain, Sarpa Barman, Mustafa Seikh, Khushi Mohan Rai, Sanjit Sarkar, Lijan Magar, and Sarat Goyary.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the mine “appears to be illegal,” and police have arrested one person in connection with the incident.
“The police have registered an FIR under Umrangso PS Case No: 02/2025, citing Sections 3(5)/105 BNS, r/w Section 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, to investigate the incident. Prima facie, it appears to be an illegal mine. One Punish Nunisa has been arrested in connection with the case,” Mr. Sarma wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
