In a tragic turn of events, five more bodies of laborers were recovered from the flooded Umrangshu coal mine on Wednesday. This marks the retrieval of a total of nine bodies since the rescue operations began on January 4, with the latest recoveries occurring on February 19. Despite the efforts of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the identities of the newly recovered bodies remain unknown.
The mine, which collapsed and flooded on January 6, trapped several workers inside. Since then, both central and state government rescue teams have been engaged in extensive operations to recover the bodies. Earlier, four bodies had been recovered, identified as Nepal’s Ganga Bahadur Shrestha, Khushi Mohan Rai (57), Sarat Gayari (37) from Sonitpur, and Ligen Magar, a resident of Umrangshu in Dima Hasao district.
As the water level in the mine gradually receded, rescue teams were able to recover the five additional bodies on February 19, raising the total death toll, though the exact number of fatalities remains unclear. Earlier attempts to drain the 340-foot-deep mine using specialized equipment from ONGC and Coal India had limited success. The Indian Army and Navy divers faced significant challenges in mapping the submerged sections of the mine due to the high water levels, leading to the near-conclusion of their operations.
The incident has drawn attention to the ongoing risks faced by laborers in such hazardous environments, with rescue operations continuing amidst difficult conditions.
