Dima Hasao, Jan 11: The death toll in the flooded coal mine tragedy in Assam’s Dima Hasao district has risen to four, with the recovery of three more bodies on Saturday. The workers had been trapped since January 6, when a sudden gush of water flooded the mine in Umrangshu.
The bodies of the victims were identified as Ligen Magar (27) from Dima Hasao, Khushi Mohan Rai (57) from Kokrajhar, and Sarat Goyary (37) from Sonitpur. The first body was recovered on Wednesday, and a Nepalese worker’s body was found on January 8.
Rescue operations, led by divers from the army, navy, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), resumed on Saturday morning after two days of dewatering efforts. The bodies were found floating in accumulated water, with the water level reduced from 26 meters to 12 meters.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed condolences and assured that rescue operations would continue. He confirmed that the mine, which had been abandoned for over a decade and managed by the Assam Mineral Development Corporation until three years ago, was not illegal. The workers had entered the mine for the first time to extract coal.
Meanwhile, Assam Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the tragedy. He criticized the local authorities for failing to address illegal mining activities, including rat-hole mining, despite repeated accidents.
Search efforts are ongoing, with an underwater Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) assisting in locating the remaining trapped workers.
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