Rescue operations by multiple state and central agencies continued for the fourth day on Thursday to locate trapped miners inside an illegal rat-hole coal mine in Dima Hasao district of Assam, officials said.
The search operations resumed early in the morning after the dewatering exercise all night and the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) has gone inside the flooded shaft, a senior official of Assam Police told PTI.
“So far, nothing has been detected by the ROV. It is trying very hard to locate the trapped miner despite the extremely hostile and difficult situation. The water inside is totally blackened and it is creating problems in finding anything,” he added.
Additionally, four deep divers from the Navy also went inside the flooded shaft to find the trapped miners, the official said.
A united effort is being made by the Navy, Army, NDRF, SDRF, ONGC, Coal India and district administration to trace the workers trapped inside.
The labourers were on Monday trapped inside the 3-Kilo Coal Quarry in Umrangso area, around 250 km from Guwahati, after a sudden gush of water flooded the site.