Guwahati: The Indian Navy divers on Tuesday resumed the search operation with the help of NDRF personnel but it was delayed after the high-powered pumps encountered technical snags in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district.
Informing that there were some technical problems with the machines and the rescue operation was affected, the spokesperson for rescue operation R Susngi told reporters that depth of shaft is over 370 feet and currently the water level inside the vertical shaft is at about 161 feet.
“Odisha Fire Service is trying its best to run the machine and insert pumps inside to take out the water and check the water level in the main shaft,” he said adding that the navy diving team along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) divers went inside the main shaft and are jointly operating on a strategy that has been planned.
Odisha Fire Service and NRDF teams were able to dewater from the old shaft that lays few yards below the main shaft after replacement of new cable, box and accessories purchased by district administration. The volume of water pumped will be measured after a few hours, official said.
Meanwhile, state government officials also released the names of 15 miners trapped inside a 370-foot-deep illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district since December 13 after water from a nearby river gushed in, puncturing the mine wall. Names of trapped miners are Omor Ali, Mezamur Islam, Mominul Islam, Shirapat Ali, Mozid Sk, Raziul Islam, Abdul Kalam SK Abdul (all from West Garo Hills), Chal Dkhar, Iong Dkhar, Nilam Dkhar (From East Jaintia Hills) Amir Hussain, Munirul Islam, Saiar Islam, (from Assam’s Chirang district) Samsul Haque (from Nalbari Assam) and Assh Bahadur Limbu, (Karbi Anglong, Assam).
The official said that out of the 15 people stuck in the rat hole mine, five are from Assam and ten, including three from East Jaintia Hill, belong to Meghalaya. (EOM)
