Miners still trapped in Meghalaya coal mine, rain hampers rescue efforts

Shillong: Heavy rainfall on Tuesday is hampering operations to rescue at least five miners trapped for two days deep inside an illegal rat-hole coal pit in Meghalaya‘s East Jaintia Hills district, officials said.

The district administration has identified five miners, four from Assam and one from Tripura, who were trapped at the coal pit in the remote Umpleng area of Sutnga Elaka since Sunday when a dynamite blast had led to the flooding of the coal mine.

Superintendent of Police in neighbouring Assam’s Silchar district had sent information to the authorities here about the possibility of six miners of his state being trapped in the mine.