Dima Hasao: A catastrophic accident has occurred at the Koilamati coal mine near Assam Quarry in the Umrangso area of Assam's Dima Hasao district, leaving nine workers trapped underground. The mine, located in the Tinkilo region, was inundated with water early Monday morning, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.
Reports indicate that the workers, hailing from both Assam and Meghalaya, became stranded around 7 a.m. The mine, approximately 330 feet deep, has been flooded with nearly 100 feet of water, significantly complicating rescue efforts.
"Several people feared being trapped inside a coal mine in the Umrangso area in the Dima Hasao district. We can't say the exact figure as of now," Dima Hasao Superintendent of Police (SP) Mayank Kumar Jha told ANI.


State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams reached the area that is close to the Meghalaya border. Taking to X, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state has requested the Army's assistance in the rescue operation.


Emergency teams have deployed high-capacity pumps to extract the water in an urgent bid to reach the trapped miners. Authorities and rescue personnel are working tirelessly, racing against time to locate and save the victims.
CM Himanta also shared the names of nine trapped labourers in a post on X.

 

Further updates are awaited as rescue efforts continue around the clock.
Rat-hole mining is a method of coal extraction commonly practised in Meghalaya. It involves digging narrow, horizontal seams into the ground, creating small pits just large enough for a single person to descend and extract coal.