New Delhi | The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Union and the Meghalaya state government to file a status report on the rescue operation of 15 miners trapped inside an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia hills of Meghalaya.
Expressing dissatisfaction on the rescue operation of the miners the apex court asked the center and Meghalaya government to file a status report by January 7 on steps and progress of the rescue operation of 15 miners. The court further said that “prompt, immediate and effective” operation was needed to rescue them as it was a matter of life and death.
During the hearing Solicitor general Tushar Mehta representing the Central government informed the top court that they were facing difficulties in the operation to rescue 15 miners trapped in an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya since December 13 as there was no blueprint of the 355-feet well.
The Solicitor General further informed the bench that several members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were working at the site and instead of the Army, the government has sent Navy personnel there as the mine was submerged in water. Responding the rescue information the bench questioned “72 members of NDRF are already there but still no result, Why cannot you take help of the Army?
On December 13, around 20 miners entered the 370-foot mine at about 8 am. After reaching the bottom of the pit, the miners entered the horizontal manholes, often termed as ‘rat-holes’. According to villagers, one of the diggers could have accidentally punctured the walls of the cave and the river water gushed in immediately, trapping the miners inside. Luckily only five persons managed to climb out of the mine. Operations to rescue the trapped miners entered its 21st day on January 3rd as over 100 personnel from the NDRF and the SDRF are at the site, alongside the state police.
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