In an unfortunate incident in Dima Hasao district in Assam, nine workers remain trapped inside a ‘rat hole’ coal mine after water unexpectedly flooded the 300-foot-deep quarry on January 6, 2025. Rescue operations are underway but have been severely hampered by the water, which has filled approximately 100 feet of the mine.
A 30-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and an eight-member State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) unit have been deployed to the site to manage the rescue mission. However, despite continuous efforts, their progress has been slowed by the rising water levels inside the mine. Two water pumps are currently being used to flush out the water, but the flooding remains a significant obstacle.
In a move to strengthen the rescue operation, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has called for assistance from the Indian Navy. A team of Navy deep divers from Visakhapatnam is being flown in to aid in the effort to rescue those trapped in the coal mine in Assam. Divers from the Army have also joined the mission and have entered the flooded mine to assist in locating the trapped workers.
The Chief Minister shared the identities of the trapped miners in a post on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that they include workers from Nepal, West Bengal, and Assam. Among them are Ganga Bahadur Shreth (Nepal), Sanjit Sarkar (West Bengal), and Hussain Ali, Jakir Hussain, Sarpa Barman, Mustafa Seikh, Khusi Mohan Rai, Lijan Magar, and Sarat Goyary (Assam).
The mine, located in Umrangso, a remote industrial town near the Meghalaya border, is reported to be illegal. The practice of ‘rat hole’ mining, where narrow tunnels are dug into the earth, has long been criticized for its hazardous conditions and lack of safety measures. This incident has once again brought attention to the dangers associated with such unregulated operations.
The sudden flooding of the mine pit has left the fate of the workers uncertain.
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