Meghalaya: 13 miners trapped inside coal pit, rescue operation on

Shillong: Thirteen miners, who were trapped inside a coal pit filled with gallons of water in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, were yet to be reached or rescued.

According to the officials, "Their chances of survival were bleak." Sylvester Nongtnger, the district police chief of East Jaintia Hills said, "We are yet to recover the dead bodies from the pit."

"The rescue operation is still on in full swing. the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been pressed into service to carry out the rescue operation," he added.

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The accident inside the coal pit on Thursday was of significance, especially because the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ordered an interim ban on rat-hole coal mining in the state from April 17, 2014.

As per verbal information received late on Thursday, 13 miners including three locals of Lumthari area were trapped inside the pit, Nongtnger had said.

"It appeared the miners resumed mining coal three to four days ago. Our first step is to rescue those people trapped inside the pit. We are pumping the water out of the pit with the help of generators but the water level has not receded," the police official said.

Nongtnger had made it clear that the chances of survival of the miners were very bleak.

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"Efforts are on to identify the coal mine owner. We have already registered a case against the owner," he told soon after the accident.

Coal mine accidents are common in the mountainous state because of unscientific mining commonly known rat hole mining.