9 Miners Trapped in Illegal Coal Mine

On January 6, 2024, nine workers were trapped inside an illegal rathole coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district after sudden flooding from an underground aquifer. The mine was illegally operating, making the rescue operation more challenging.

Recovery of Five More Bodies After 44 Days

After an extensive 44-day-long rescue mission, authorities recovered the bodies of all five remaining miners on February 21. This follows the recovery of four bodies earlier in January. The Indian Army, Indian Navy, NDRF, SDRF, and Assam Rifles were involved in the rescue efforts.

Assam CM Confirms Recovery of All Bodies

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared an update on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“Today, the dewatering of the Umrangso mines was completed to a level where retrieval operations could be launched. The mortal remains of the remaining 5 miners have been recovered and brought up from the mine shaft. The process to identify the remains has been initiated.”

First Body Found on January 8

The first miner, identified as Ganga Bahadur Shreth from Nepal, was recovered on January 8. Three more miners—

• Lijen Magar (27) from Umrangso’s Kalamati village,
• Khusi Mohan Rai (57) from Magergaon, Kokrajhar,
• Sarat Goyary (37) from Thailapara, Sonitpur—
  were found on January 11.

Government Announces ₹10 Lakh Compensation

The Assam government has announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh for each of the victims’ families.

Families Struggle After the Tragic Loss

The tragedy has left families devastated. Junu Pradhan, the wife of 27-year-old Lijen Magar, is struggling to cope with the loss of her husband, who was the sole breadwinner of the family. She is now left alone to raise their two-month-old baby.

“He [Lijen Magar] was the only earning source of our family. I have a two-month-old child and I don’t know what will be our future. I am now totally helpless,” ANI quoted Junu Pradhan as saying.

This coal mine disaster highlights the dangers of illegal mining and the need for stricter regulations to prevent such tragedies in the future.