Army, NDRF, SDRF teams begin work to rescue miners from flooded Assam coal mine

District disaster management officer Riki B Phukan said that there has been no communication yet with the trapped miners and they do not know what their conditions were

Published on: Jan 7, 2025, 09:50:58 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Rescue teams from the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have arrived at the flooded coal mine at Tin Kilo in Assam’s Dima Hasao district where at least nine workers have been feared trapped since Monday morning. Officials said that divers from the Navy were on standby.

The Army said relief columns were rushed in from places such as Diphu in Assam and Dimapur in Nagaland. (Sourced)

Dima Hasao district deputy commissioner Simanta Kumar Das said that efforts to reach the trapped workers and rescue them began on Tuesday morning. He added an NDRF team with divers has gone into the mine estimated to be around 300 metres deep. “Suction machines have been deployed to try and take out the excess water.”

District disaster management officer Riki B Phukan said there has been no communication yet with the trapped miners and they do not know what their conditions were.

The Army said relief columns were rushed in from places such as Diphu in Assam and Dimapur in Nagaland to assist the civil administration in the rescue of the trapped miners. “Specialist divers, engineers, task force with equipment, medical team, and support staff from Army and Assam Rifles have joined the rescue efforts and are preparing for the rescue operation. All efforts are being made in conjunction with the civil administration,” said the Army’s Guwahati-based public relations officer Lt Col Mahender Rawat.

He added that deep divers from the Navy will join the rescue efforts as soon as they get the green signal from authorities in New Delhi.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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