NEW DELHI: The National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) on Saturday said another body was found early in the morning when they went to check the water level. The body was recovered amid ongoing efforts to rescue workers trapped at the bottom of the flooded coal mine in Assam. Dima Hasao District.
Earlier, the relief team recovered the body of a Nepalese worker, who was among the workers trapped inside a 3kg coal quarry in Umrangso after a sudden gush of water flooded the site on January 6.
“We went to see the water level in the morning, we saw a body and it was rescued. Two bodies have been recovered since the operation began. The water level has dropped six meters since we arrived here,” said the team commander. NDRF, Roshan Kumar Singh. he told news agency PTI.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a post on X, said the body was yet to be identified.
”Rescue efforts in Umrangsu continue with unwavering determination. Tragically, another body has been recovered this morning whose identity is yet to be confirmed,” the prime minister posted on the microblogging site.
“Our hearts go out to those grieving, as we hold on to hope and strength in this difficult time,” he added.
On Thursday night, the leader of the trapped workers was arrested, even as Navy and Army rescuers made little progress on the fifth day of the operation.
Police said their ‘sardar’ (leader), Hanan Laskar, had fled the scene soon after. Early Tuesday, Punish Nunisa, tenant of the quarry, was arrested.
On Friday, Congress held a statewide sit-in over the alleged illegal coal union in the state. APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah said CM’s “failure Himanta Biswa Sarma Government has been exposed with the tragic deaths of innocent workers trapped in the illegal coal syndicate in Umrangso.”
According to witnesses and preliminary reports, the unexpected flooding prevented workers from evacuating the mine. Emergency teams, including local authorities and mining experts, immediately began rescue operations.
A miner, whose brother is among those trapped, said: “Suddenly, people started shouting that water was filling the mine. Around 30 to 35 people managed to escape, but 15 to 16 people were trapped inside.”