Meghalaya: Search for miners to continue till govt asks us to step back, says Navy spokesperson Capt D K Sharma

Operation to trace and evacuate miners trapped in a 370-feet deep illegal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills will continue till the government asks the Navy to step back, Indian Navy spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said on Thursday.

"Operation by Navy started three weeks ago. We are a team of 10 people. We have sent a team of divers with an officer and latest equipment. Last night, we recovered a dead body at a depth of around 150 feet from the surface. For now, divers are using a hit and trial method. The search operation will be continued till the government asks us to step back," Capt D K Sharma said.

The divers were using Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROVs) to trace the 15 miners who have been trapped in an illegal rat-hole coal mine at Ksan near Lyteiñ River, for over a month now. "As there are many uncharted small mines in the area, it is difficult to understand where to head next," Capt Sharma said.

Odisha Fire Service is operating pumps to remove water from the mine. KSB, a German company, is likely to install its pumps by Thursday evening to pump out the water.

A team of doctors and other senior officials are monitoring the rescue operations from the spot. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is also coordinating with other agencies in undertaking the rescue operation.

Fifteen miners have been trapped in the illegal mine in Lumthari village since December 13 last year, when water from the nearby Lytein river flooded the mine. Since then, a multi-agency rescue operation has been attempting to evacuate the miners.