scorecardresearch
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Support Our Journalism
HomeIndiaNavy deep divers roped in to rescue 9 miners trapped in flooded...

Navy deep divers roped in to rescue 9 miners trapped in flooded Assam mine for over 24 hrs

Water level in the mine has risen by 100 ft, says CM Himanta Sarma. At least 3 miners are feared dead. Indian Army, Assam Rifles, SDRF & NDRF are also part of rescue efforts.

Follow Us :
Text Size:

New Delhi: Navy deep divers joined the Army and the Assam Rifles in an operation to rescue several miners trapped in a coal mine in Assam’s Umrangso, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced Tuesday. At least three miners were feared dead.

On 6 January, several labourers were trapped in a mine after it flooded in the Dima Hasao region, close to the state border with Meghalaya. While, according to a list shared by the Assam CM, at least nine people were trapped in the mine, an Army statement said it could be between 15 and 20 people.

Reuters reported that at least three miners were feared dead, attributing it to a statement from the local administration.

“The water level inside the mine has risen to nearly 100 feet, according to the assessment by the stationed team,” Sarma said in a post on ‘X’ on Tuesday. The deep divers, he added, were flown in from Visakhapatnam to help rescue the trapped miners. The deep divers had entered the mine, according to information shared by the CM at around 11 am.

Earlier, Sarma said that his administration had requested assistance from the Army in the rescue operation. According to the Army, it received a formal requisition from the Assam home secretary.

Units of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were also engaged in the operation.

The 32 Assam Rifles, who were deployed to carry out the Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation, began their operations Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. by conducting an initial assessment of the situation.

An Army statement said it had also extended engineering and specialist support under the commanding officer of an engineer regiment to rescue the trapped miners. This also includes para diving specialists. The team was moving to the site, it added.

Reinforcements in the form of additional teams from Assam Rifles and its Engineer Task Force were also en route to reinforce the ongoing rescue efforts, the statement said.

The Army added that a helicopter, carrying senior officials, including the chief engineer of the Dimapur, Nagaland-based Corps headquarters, Inspector General of the Assam Rifles (East), and the commanding officer of the PARA unit, was conducting a reconnaissance mission, helping provide aerial assessment and further guide operations to rescue the trapped miners.

(Edited by Sanya Mathur)


Also Read: ‘Symbol of resistance’: Army unveils Shivaji statue on shore of Pangong Tso near LAC


Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular