miners

Shillong, June 10: The rescue operations at Krem Ule in East Jaintia Hills district’s Umpleng suffered a setback following the rise in water level, said Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, adding that the rescue efforts are still on to save the five miners trapped deep inside an illegal coal mine.

“We have asked the district administration as well as other agencies, including NDRF, to also pitch in, but the conditions are very difficult out there,” Sangma told reporters.

Stating that the authorities concerned are trying their best to rescue the trapped miners, the chief minister said, “We have not come out with positive results as of now.”

At least 100 rescuers from the NDRF, SDRF and the Fire Service are camping at the accident site waiting for the water level to come down to about 10 meters in depth because they can be maximum water level operate in.

At least five miners were trapped inside a coal mine in Sutnga Elaka Meghalaya after a dynamite explosion, which took place on the night of May 30.


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Police have so far arrested the coal mine owner, Shining Langstang, and charged him for violation of the NGT order banning unscientific mining and transportation of coal.

The mine manager aka Sordar is still on the run and a lookout notice has been issued since he was the one, who is responsible for bringing illegal migrant workers from Assam and Tripura to work at the mine, a senior police official in the district had said.