North India Statesman
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Bodies of three more miners were recovered on Saturday during rescue operations in the coal mine accident in Dima Hasao district of Assam. According to officials, bodies of a total of four miners have been taken out so far. The first of these bodies was found on Wednesday. This accident occurred on January 6 due to sudden flooding of the mine located at Umrangso, in which a total of nine miners were trapped.
Bodies recovered after six days of search
The officer informed, “Three more bodies were recovered on the sixth day of the rescue operation. “Earlier, on January 8, the body of a miner resident of Nepal was taken out.”
The miners recovered on Saturday have been identified as Ligen Magar (27) of Dima Hasao district, Khushi Mohan Rai (57) of Kokrajhar district, and Sarat Goyari (37) of Sonitpur district. After draining water from the mine for two days, these bodies were found floating on the surface of the water. The bodies were taken out by divers of the Army, Navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
Chief Minister’s statement: The mine was closed
Expressing condolences over the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Vishwa Sharma wrote on social media platform ‘X’, “Rescue operations are underway in Umrangso… Our thoughts are with the bereaved families.”
The Chief Minister claimed that this mine was closed 12 years ago and was under the Assam Mineral Development Corporation till three years ago. He clarified, “This was not an illegal mine. The miners had entered the mine for the first time to extract coal.”
The leader of the miners has been arrested in connection with the incident and the police are investigating the matter.
Chief Minister’s appeal on political dispute
On the alleged involvement of a family member of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member (CEM) Debolal Gorlosa in the accident, the Chief Minister said, “It is a human tragedy. We should not politicize this.”
Congress demanded SIT investigation
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a SIT (Special Investigation Team) investigation into the mine accident. He alleged that illegal mining is continuing unabated in Assam. “The SIT should not only investigate the ‘illegal’ operations of this mine but also look into broader mining issues by identifying those responsible for this tragedy,” Gogoi said.
background of the accident
On January 6, nine miners were trapped due to sudden flooding in this coal mine located in Umrangso district. Continuous rescue operations are going on since the accident. So far, four bodies have been recovered, while the search for five other miners is ongoing.
further action
The government has assured strict action and detailed investigation against those responsible for the incident. This accident raises serious questions regarding the monitoring and safety of mining activities in the state.
