Eighteen labourers are trapped after water flooded a 300-foot-deep coal mine in Umrangso, an industrial town in Assam’s Dima Hasao district near the Meghalaya border.
The mine, reportedly operating illegally, was inundated early today, with water rising to about 100 feet.
Local authorities have deployed police and rescue teams who are using motor pumps to drain water from the site. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are en route to aid the operation. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the state has sought assistance from the Army to bolster rescue efforts.
The mine employs a controversial and dangerous technique known as "rat hole" mining, where narrow tunnels are dug by hand to extract coal. This method not only poses significant risks to workers but also has devastating environmental impacts. Acidic water and toxic heavy metals released from such mines contaminate nearby water sources, affecting both agriculture and human consumption.
This incident recalls the 2018 tragedy in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, where 15 miners were trapped in a similar illegal coal mine after a nearby river flooded the tunnels. Despite extensive rescue efforts, only two bodies were recovered.
In 2019, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a Rs 100 crore fine on Meghalaya for failing to curb illegal coal mining, revealing that most of the state’s 24,000 mines operated without proper permits.
As the situation in Umrangso unfolds, rescue teams are racing against time to pump out water and locate the trapped workers.