Body of one of trapped miners found
Body of one of the miners trapped inside a rat-hole mine in Meghalaya was found by a team of Navy personnel on Thursday.
15 miners were trapped in a mine at Ksan village near Lyteiñ River in East Jaintia Hills district on 13th December, 2018.
"One body detected by Indian Navy divers using an underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle) at a depth of approx 160 feet and 210 feet inside a rat-hole mine," the Navy spokesperson said in a tweet.
The body has been pulled up to the mouth of the mine and will be the extracted out under the supervision of doctors.
The body has been detected 32 days after the miners were trapped inside the mine on December 13 due to water gushing inside the mine.
Five miners managed to escape and alert people about the tragedy at Ksan village, about 130 km from Shillong.
Rescue efforts are on to salvage the remaining 14 miners.
The Meghalaya government has roped in several central agencies including a team from Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute and Chennai-based Planys Technologies in the rescue operation.
Coal India Limited, Odisha firefighters, Kirloskar Brothers Limited are dewatering the abandoned coal mine shafts and the main shaft where the miners are trapped.
Coal mine accidents that have been rampant in the mountainous state for their unscientific "rat hole mining" habits even after a National Green Tribunal imposed an interim ban April 2014.
On Wednesday, the Meghalaya Cabinet discussed the ongoing rescue operations to trace the trapped miners.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who also handles the mining and geology department, and Home Minister James Sangma apprised the Cabinet about the latest rescue situation at the spot.
"Till today, the rescue operation is still on. In the next few days, the district administration and the department concerned will meet the experts who are in ground zero. They tried their best and they are doing it till today... let us see for how many more days," said Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynosng.
Watch: Body of one of trapped miners found in Meghalaya
Asked about the possibility of calling off the rescue operation, he said, "Till this moment the experts are still on the job. Until and unless we get their views, we cannot say anything. Once that is done, then we will accordingly file affidavit in the Supreme Court."
The Supreme Court-monitored rescue operation is aimed at taking out the trapped miners "dead or alive".
On the expenditure incurred in the rescue operation, the Deputy Chief Minister said, "We are yet to know the details. This has been handled by the district administration."
Meanwhile, the Coal India Limited has informed the district administration that the water level at the main shaft, where the 15 miners are trapped, and the abandoned shafts remained the same despite several million gallons of water being pumped out.
The Indian Navy lowered the underwater remotely operated vehicle at the main shaft, but failed to capture any of the trapped miners.
Scientists from the Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute conducted the micro gravimetric measurement and differential position profile system to identify the seepage of water in the main shaft.
Experts from the Chennai-based Plenys Technology continue to conduct the sonar mapping of the shaft to identify the rat-hole tunnel.
(With IANS inputs)
