Assam mining incident: 1 dead, confirms CM; rescue ops in full swing

“21 Para divers have just recovered a lifeless body from the bottom of the well. Our thoughts and prayers with the grieving family,” Sarma said in a post on X.

Also read: Water enters coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao, several feared trapped

The chances of the survival of the eight others appear grim, although a team of personnel from Army, Navy, Assam Rifles, NDRF, SDRF and other agencies intensified their efforts to rescue the trapped miners, officials said.

Multi-agency operation

In an earlier post in the morning, Sarma had said that rescue operation is in full swing with divers both from the Army and the NDRF having entered well.

“The rescue operation is in full swing with Army and NDRF divers having already entered the well. Navy personnel are on-site, making final preparations to dive in after them. Meanwhile, SDRF de-watering pumps have departed from Umrangshu for the location. Additionally, the ONGC de-watering pump has been loaded onto an MI-17 helicopter at Kumbhigram, awaiting weather clearance for deployment,” he posted.

The labourers were on Monday (January 6) trapped inside the coal mine situated in the 3 Kilo area of Umrangso, after a sudden gush of water flooded the site.

1 arrested, FIR filed

According to employees of the quarry, there were around 15 workers inside the mine, though the authorities did not confirm the number.

While reports on Tuesday claimed that three of the trapped labourers are feared dead, Dima Hasao SP Mayank Kumar Jha has denied them.

Sarma said the mine "appears to be illegal", and that the police have arrested one person in connection with the incident.

He also said a case was registered in connection with the incident.

Also read: Nagaland: Accident in illegal coal mine leaves six dead, four injured

''The police have registered an FIR under Umrangso PS Case No: 02/2025, citing Sections 3(5)/105 BNS, r/w Section 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, to investigate the incident. Prima facie, it appears to be an illegal mine. One Punish Nunisa has been arrested in connection with the case," the chief minister had posted on X.

Sharma seeks Coal India assistance

Sarma said he has spoken to Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy, who has assured him that a team from Coal India will join the rescue operations from Wednesday.

He said navy divers have been requisitioned to assist local authorities in rescuing the labourers, as the water level inside the quarry has risen to nearly 100 feet.

The divers flew in from Visakhapatnam and conducted a recce, before entering the quarry.

“The divers reached the surface, but could not find any person or bodies except for a few shoes and sandals. It is, therefore, presumed that the labourers could have entered the tunnels inside the quarry,” the chief minister had said in an earlier post on X.

Special team working on rescue operation

Special Director General of Police Harmeet Singh, who is supervising the rescue operations at the site, told reporters that specialised divers from the navy, army, NDRF and SDRF are alternately going inside the quarry to conduct rescue operations.

“The navy personnel have deep diving equipment with them and we have requisitioned more equipment to help in the operations,” Singh said.

The quarry is about 340 feet deep and “we are primarily concentrating on rescuing the workers on the directions of the chief minister, who is personally monitoring the entire operation”, he said.