Rescue efforts continue in Assam as survival chances fade for miners

The chances of survival of the five coal miners trapped inside an abandoned quarry in Assam's Dima Hasao district continue to diminish as dewatering operations entered the eighth day on Monday, officials said.

Nine workers were trapped inside the mine in Umrangshu, around 250 km from Guwahati, on January 6 with four bodies recovered so far.

The mine is being dewatered using specialised pumping machines brought in by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Coal India.

The water level in the quarry has dropped significantly, but it remains unclear when it will be "completely cleared or when rescue and search operations inside the quarry will resume," an official at the site said.

Rescue operations are being carried out jointly by the navy, army, Assam Rifles, NDRF, SDRF and the district administration since the first day.

'The chances of survival of the remaining miners appear to be waning as they remain trapped for the eighth day but the rescue operations will continue', he said.

The official added that an underwater Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) is also being sent inside the quarry at regular intervals to capture images of the trapped miners, the official added.

State minister for mines and minerals Kaushik Rai, supervising the operations at the site, said dewatering was expected to be completed by Tuesday.

The first body was recovered last Wednesday and three others on Saturday.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier claimed that the mine was abandoned 12 years ago and was under the Assam Mineral Development Corporation till three years ago.

He said that the leader of the workers of the mine has been arrested and police are conducting investigations.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a SIT probe into the mining tragedy.

He also alleged that "illegal mining continues unchecked" due to "weak law enforcement and local complicity" in the northeastern state.