Assam coal mine tragedy: Search & rescue ops underway to trace 5 trapped labourers

The rescue operation continued on Sunday in Assam's Umrangso, where at least five labourers are suspected to have died after getting trapped in a coal mine. The specialised task force has been continuing the search operation in the mine to locate and retrieve the bodies.

A senior official said: “As de-watering of the coal mine is being done by the task force, the Navy divers are continuing their search for trapped labourers.”

On Saturday, the bodies of three deceased labourers were recovered from the coal mine.

Earlier, another body of a labourer was recovered. One of the three labourers whose bodies were recovered from the mine on Saturday was identified as 27-year-old Ligen Magar, a resident of Dima Hasao district.

Magar's body was found floating on accumulated water in the mine after the Navy divers went to bring out the worker, an official said.

The remaining two bodies recovered on Sunday were identified as 57-year-old Khusi Mohan Rai, a resident of Magargaon in Kokrajhar district of Assam, and 37-year-old Sarat Goyary, a resident of Thailapara, Batashipur in Sonitpur district of Assam.

At least nine labourers have been identified who were trapped in a coal mine in Umrango locality of the Dima Hasao district a week ago.

The state administration and police launched an operation to rescue the trapped labourers in the mine.

According to police, the exact number of labourers who got trapped inside the coal mine is still unknown.

Out of the nine labourers who were still trapped in the coal mine, one is a national of Nepal, one from West Bengal and the rest hail from different parts of Assam.

They have been identified as Ganga Bahadur Shreth, Hussain Ali, Jakir Hussain, Sarpa Barman, Mustafa Seikh, Khusi Mohan Rai, Sanjit Sarkar, Lijan Magar and Sarat Goyary.

The state administration sought assistance from the Army in the rescue operation.