English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Meghalaya coal mine disaster: After month since 15 miners got trapped, Navy spots one body

Published

on

Meghalaya coal mine disaster: After month since 15 miners got trapped, Navy spots one body

Over a month after 15 mine workers were trapped inside an illegal rat-hole mine that got flooded  with Lytein river waters in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills, the Indian Navy today (Thursday, Jan 17) spotted a body more than 200 feet inside.

“One body detected by Indian Navy divers using underwater ROV at a depth of approx 60 feet and 210 feet inside a rat-hole mine,” the Indian Navy spokesperson tweeted.

A joint rescue operation involving local workers, NDRF and Indian Navy among others, with some equipment flown in from outside the state, has been on at the illegal mine, which was flooded on December 13 trapping the workers.

The body has been located after 20 days since the multi-agency rescue operation began only on the 16th day of the incident.

“Yes, the Navy operated ROV has found a dead body,” additional deputy commissioner SS Syiemlieh, East Jaintia Hills, was quoted as saying by The Hindustan Times (HT).

An underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) is a tethered underwater mobile device operated by a crew either aboard a vessel or floating platform or on proximate land. They are submersible, robotic systems, used to observe the depths of large bodies of water by operators from shore or by divers in the water. The Navy team is reported to have deployed five ROVs for the operation.

Another tweet by the Indian Navy said: “The depth is 160 feet (and not 60 feet) and the body has been pulled up to the mouth of rat-hole mine and shall be extracted out of the mine under the supervision of doctors.”

“Our divers are trying by hit and trial in uncharted mines. At least, we’ve established they’re in this area. The operation will continue until we get orders to stop,” said Captain DK Sharma, the navy’s spokesperson.

The mine is located on top of a hillock fully covered with trees. To reach the mine, a person has to pass the 30-foot wide Lytein river three times, said a NDTV report. No habitation was found nearby and 80-90 illegal coal mines dot the area.

Interestingly, the water level inside the more than 350-feet deep mine remains same, even as several litres of water has been pumped out till now with effective high power pumps. Ten 63 Horsepower pumps were brought in by the Odisha Fire Rescue team that were made operational with much difficulty. The underwater ROV used by Indian Navy had also got stuck inside the mine several times.

The slow progress in the rescue efforts in Meghalaya has been contrasted with the dramatic rescue of 12 Thai boys and their football coach from a flooded cave in July last year, which drew a massive international audience.

The tragedy took place on December 13, 2018, when a group of labourers went down the rat hole coal mine, not apprehending the danger. While four of them managed to survive, 15 others remained trapped as river water gushed inside.

The few survivors provided vital clues in establishing where the miners could be. Anxious family members had since been waiting for news — some of them who visit the site daily are even helping in the rescue operation.

The NDRF team, along with help from SDRF and civil administration, was the first to start the rescue operation the next day of the incident. However, because of lack of available resources and heavy duty pumps, work was stalled after a few days.

The NDRF had ensured that there was no one in the main shaft of the mine though it was impossible for the Navy and NDRF divers to go to the desired depth without a drop in the water level to at least 30 metres. Without a map or blueprint, the greatest difficulty was to ascertain where the miners could be and in which direction inside an unregulated and unscientific mine.

The Supreme Court last week pulled up the state government for its inaction against illegal miners while saying that rescues efforts must continue.

The top court asked the Centre and the Meghalaya government to take help of experts and continue efforts to rescue the miners. “Carry on with your rescue efforts, what if all or at least some are still alive? Miracles do happen,” a bench headed by Justice AK Sikri said.

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Sunita Kejriwal holds maiden Lok Sabha election roadshow in Delhi

Sunita Kejriwal will also hold a road show in West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday. AAP party leaders said Sunita Kejriwal will also spearhead the campaign for AAP candidates in South Delhi and New Delhi constituencies as well as in Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab.

Published

on

Aam Aadmi Party began its campaign for 3rd phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Saturday with Sunita Kejriwal, wife of jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal holding a roadshow in Delhi. In a massive rally, Sunita Kejriwal was be seen standing on a vehicle holding her hands and greeting the people of the area. AAP’s East Delhi candidate Kuldeep Kumar was seen sitting on the vehicle as he showcased a portrait of Rani Laxmibai.

Earlier ahead of Sunita Kejrieal’s roadshow, Kuldeep Kumar told the media that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who worked to provide the best school, and free- electricity to the people of Delhi has been framed in a fake case by BJP. Kumar further added that from today onwards Sunita Kejriwal’s roadshow will start and she is going to seek support and blessings from the Delhi people to continue its fight against the BJP government.

Aam Aadmi Party workers also staged a protest under the banner of Jail ka jawab vote se near Delhi’s Lakshmi Nagar area on Saturday against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in connection with an excise policy case.

After the Delhi CM’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the liquor policy case in March, Sunita Kejriwal has taken up a more prominent role in campaigning activities for the Aam Aadmi Party. Since the Delhi CM’s arrest, Atishi and other AAP leaders have alleged that the arrest was made so that to the AAP Supremo can be prevented from campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to judicial custody until May 7.

Sunita Kejriwal will also hold a road show in West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday. AAP party leaders said Sunita Kejriwal will also spearhead the campaign for AAP candidates in South Delhi and New Delhi constituencies as well as in Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab. She is emerging as a star campaigner for Aam Aadmi Party.

Continue Reading

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Mallikarjun Kharge says candidates for Amethi, Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh will be announced in a few days

On being asked about the names of the candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies Mallikarjun Kharge said the people will have to wait for a few more days. He said when the names of candidates come from people to him and he will sign the notification, then the announcement will be made.

Published

on

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the candidates for prestigious Amethi and Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh will be announced in a few days. He was addressing a press conference where he claimed that though the BJP says the corrupt must be put in jails, when leaders facing corruption charges join the saffron party, they are put on the lap and sent to Rajya Sabha or assembly.

On being asked about the names of the candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies he said the people will have to wait for a few more days. He said when the names of candidates come from people to him and he will sign the notification, then the announcement will be made.

On being questioned about Congress leaders changing constituencies Kharge asked how many times have Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani changed their seats. His response came when asked about the BJP criticising Rahul Gandhi for fighting the elections from Kerala’s Wayanad instead of Amethi. Referring to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kharge said the Congress is not affected by people who grew up in the party and left it later.

The Congress president launched an all round attack on the BJP and PM Modi and said the prime minister did not implement even one of his electoral promises and still says Modi did a lot of work for the country. Addressing the press conference he said the BJP never fought for the independence of India, but Congress is a party of those who made India independent. He said the BJP never fought for the independence of India, for the development of India. The Congress President said the BJP speaks so much about patriotism and that the contribution of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri is nothing before them.

Continue Reading

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Priyanka Gandhi accuses BJP of planning to change the Constitution, criticises PM Modi for inflation

Priyanka Gandhi was speaking at an election rally at Dharampur village of tribal dominated Valsad district held in support of Congress candidate for ST-reserved Valsad Lok Sabha seat, Anant Patel.

Published

on

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday said the BJP may be denying it now, but the party will change the Constitution if it returns to power. She targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over inflation and called him the mehengai man.

Gandhi said the BJP leaders and candidates are saying that they will change the Constitution. She said PM Modi is denying it and this is BJP’s tactic. Priyanka Gandhi was speaking at an election rally at Dharampur village of tribal dominated Valsad district, Gujarat held in support of Congress candidate for ST-reserved Valsad Lok Sabha seat, Anant Patel.

Gandhi said first the BJP will deny what they want to do. But after coming to power they will implement it. She further added the BJP wants to change the constitution to weaken the common people and deprive them of their rights given in the Constitution. She said the BJP leaders project the Prime Minister as powerful and say that chutki bajake ladai rukwa dete hai (he can stop the Russia- Ukraine war with the snap of his fingers). She asked why is Prime Minister unable to remove poverty just like that?

Priyanka Gandhi claimed the tribal population in Gujarat which is Modi’s home state and the whole country is suffering from issues like rising inflation, unemployment, low remumberation, loss of land, violence against women and other atrocities. She highlighted the Congress manifesto and said it addresses issues faced by the tribal population.

She assured the people that the Congress will bring schemes like MGNREGA for urban areas where families will get 100 days of guaranteed work. She said the Congress is committed to filing about 30 lakh vacancies in government jobs, providing subsidised diesel to fishermen and take the minimum wage to Rs 400. Gandhi said the Congress is going to work out sub plans for Scheduled Tribes and scheduled castes.

Continue Reading

Trending

-->

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com