Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday informed that the rescue operations are under way to save the five miners trapped deep inside an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district.
“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 here.
Stating that the authorities concerned are trying their best to rescue the trapped miners, the chief minister however 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 metres in depth because that is the maximum water level they can operate.
At least five miners were trapped inside a coal mine in Sutnga Elaka after the tragic accident which took place on the night of May 30.
So far, police have arrested the owner of the coal mine, 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 look out notice was issued since he was the one who is responsible for bringing illegal migrant workers from Assam and Tripura to work at this fateful mine, a senior police official in the district had said.