NEW DELHI: At least three coal miners are trapped inside an illegal rat-hole mine in the rugged terrains of Patkai hills, Tinsukia district, Assam, following a landslide. Officials confirmed the incident on Sunday, highlighting the precarious conditions rampant in such unauthorized mining operations.
The mishap unfolded around 12:30 am at the illicit Tikok West mining site, nestled between Bargolai and Namdang, situated under the Tikok colliery in Ledo.A senior official told, “Three coal miners are trapped inside the illegal rat-hole mine after the landslide in Patkai hills. Among those trapped is Dawa Cherpa from Bhojpur in Nepal and two workers are from Meghalaya, identified as John and Fenaal.”
In total, four coal workers were engaged in the work of procuring illegal coal from the rat-hole mine, the official said.
“Three of them went inside the mine and the fourth one was assisting in coal transportation. Suddenly, a landslide occurred, which trapped the three workers inside the mine.
“It has been suspected that they died inside the coal mine but we cannot say it until we get their bodies,” the official said.
The administration is carrying out a rescue operation at the moment and several agencies are being called in to assist, he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
The mishap unfolded around 12:30 am at the illicit Tikok West mining site, nestled between Bargolai and Namdang, situated under the Tikok colliery in Ledo.A senior official told, “Three coal miners are trapped inside the illegal rat-hole mine after the landslide in Patkai hills. Among those trapped is Dawa Cherpa from Bhojpur in Nepal and two workers are from Meghalaya, identified as John and Fenaal.”
In total, four coal workers were engaged in the work of procuring illegal coal from the rat-hole mine, the official said.
“Three of them went inside the mine and the fourth one was assisting in coal transportation. Suddenly, a landslide occurred, which trapped the three workers inside the mine.
“It has been suspected that they died inside the coal mine but we cannot say it until we get their bodies,” the official said.
The administration is carrying out a rescue operation at the moment and several agencies are being called in to assist, he added.
(With inputs from agencies)