DIMA HASAO: The head worker, or 'sardar,' of the coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district, where eight miners are trapped, has been arrested, police said on Friday. Meanwhile, dewatering efforts at the quarry are ongoing to enable the resumption of rescue operations.
The fate of the trapped miners remains uncertain as rescue teams race against time to save them from the ill-fated quarry. Meanwhile, the body of one laborer, a native of Nepal, has been recovered, an official said.
"The sardar (head) of the miners, who fled the quarry site immediately after the incident on January 6, was arrested on Thursday night following an extensive search operation. This marks the second arrest in connection with the case," said a senior officer, who declined to disclose the location of the arrest.
The arrested individual has been identified as Hanan Laskar, while Punish Nunisa, the leaseholder of the quarry, was taken into custody on the second day after the incident, the official said. The laborers became trapped on Monday inside the 3 Kilo coal quarry in the Umrangso area, approximately 250 km from Guwahati, after a sudden surge of water flooded the site.
A case has been registered in connection with the incident at the mine, which appears to be "illegal," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated. Nine laborers became trapped inside the mine after a sudden surge of water flooded the quarry, with the body of one laborer recovered so far.
Dewatering of the 340-foot-deep quarry is ongoing, with specialized machines brought in by ONGC and Coal India, the official said. The divers from the Navy and Army will re-enter the mine to continue rescue operations once a significant amount of water has been cleared, the official said. The rescue operations involve the Navy, Army, Assam Rifles, NDRF, SDRF, and civil administration, all of whom are stationed at the site, the official said.