Tragic Incident in Assam Coal Mine: Another Labourer's Body Found
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Synopsis
A tragic incident in Assam's Umrangso coal mine has led to the recovery of another trapped labourer's body. Minister Kaushik Rai confirmed that nine labourers were trapped, with five rescued so far. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced compensation for the victims' families and indicated an inquiry to determine accountability.
Key Takeaways
- Another body of a trapped labourer recovered from the Umrangso coal mine.
- A total of nine labourers were trapped, with five having been rescued.
- Compensation of Rs 10 lakh announced for the families of the deceased.
- A judicial inquiry and SIT will investigate the incident.
- Rescue efforts faced challenges due to flooding.
Guwahati, Feb 19 (NationPress) The recovery of another body belonging to a labourer trapped within the coal mine located in Umrangso, Assam was confirmed on Wednesday by Minister Kaushik Rai.
Minister Rai informed the press that rescue forces successfully retrieved the body of yet another labourer from the mine on Wednesday.
“A total of nine labourers were trapped inside the mine. Previously, the Army and disaster response teams managed to recover the bodies of four labourers,” the minister remarked.
Since January, nine labourers have been trapped, with five having been rescued so far from the mine in the Umrangso area of Dima Hasao district, Assam.
“As of today, the dewatering process in the Umrangso mines has reached a stage where recovery operations can begin. The remains of the remaining five miners have been successfully retrieved from the mine shaft, and the identification process has commenced,” stated Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Previously, the Chief Minister had declared an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each of the four labourers who lost their lives in this coal mine tragedy. Furthermore, the families of the five remaining trapped labourers will also receive the same compensation.
“A judicial inquiry commission, led by Justice Anima Hazarika, a former judge of the Gauhati High Court, will be established to investigate the situation and assign accountability to the relevant officers, individuals, and institutions. A standard operating procedure will be created to implement a complete ban on rat hole mining in the state,” he added.
Chief Minister Sarma also noted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed to look into the entire incident, stating, “An SIT will be constituted to thoroughly investigate the incident based on the FIR already filed. The SIT will be overseen by Retd Justice Anima Hazarika.
The rescue mission for the trapped labourers in the coal mine situated in Umrangso, Dima Hasao district, Assam faced setbacks as water continued to flood into the tunnels.
A specialized team from the Army and Navy was deployed for the rescue efforts; however, they were unable to achieve success in their attempts.
