Rescue operations at the waterlogged rat-hole coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district are facing persistent challenges due to high water levels, which are suspected to be connected to the nearby Kopili River.
Despite ten days of dewatering efforts, only a slight reduction in water levels—less than one foot—has been observed.
Nine workers were trapped inside the flooded mine on January 6, and so far, authorities have recovered four bodies. Five workers remain unlocated.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated, "We suspect that the coal mine (where the incident occurred) is somewhere connected to the Kopili River. Even conducting the dewatering process for 36-48 hours the water level of the coal mine has decreased only less than 1 foot. That reason has affected the search and rescue operations.
"From today the Geological Survey of India has started its study on it and they will give us a comment. But we will try to continue the dewatering process. After 3-4 days we will have to take a view on it," he informed.
Various agencies, including the Indian Army, Indian Navy, NDRF, SDRF, and Coal India Limited, are engaged in the dewatering process as murky water continues to fill the coal mine.
Assam Minister Kaushik Rai said that multiple agencies are involved in both the dewatering process and ongoing search and rescue efforts to locate and rescue the five trapped miners.
On January 8, the first body, identified as Ganga Bahadur Shreth from Nepal, was recovered from the flooded rat-hole mine.
Three more bodies were recovered on January 11: Lijen Magar, 27, from Kalamati village in Umrangso; Khusi Mohan Rai, 57, from Magergaon in Kokrajhar, Assam; and Sarat Goyary, 37, from Thailapara in Sonitpur, Assam.
Rescue operations are still underway to locate the remaining five miners.
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