Rescuers were unable to reach the 13 miners trapped in a coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district on the sixth day as heavy rains made the operation difficult, police said.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police and State Disaster Response Force have been fighting against time to rescue the workers after an illegal coal mine, full of water, at Ksan in Saipung area of the district collapsed on Thursday and got flooded by the adjacent Lytein river.
According to police, only three helmets have been found during the search operation even as miners remain trapped in the coal pit.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday said that rescue teams have been facing challenges to evacuate the trapped miners. He also highlighted that the high water level is making the operation difficult.
"It is a very difficult and complicated situation. The NDRF is trying to save them but it looks very difficult," said Sangma while sharing details of the rescue operation.
"No matter how many pumps we put, water force is too much to bring it down to a level where we can enter and save them. We are trying really hard but the water level is really high," said the chief minister while explaining the situation.
He further informed, "I spoke to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju the day after this incident took place and requested him to send more professional help."
Despite a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal in 2014, mining activities were underway at the site in Kasan village.
Earlier, while responding on the rising illegal mining activities in the state, the chief minister had said, "We got to know about the illegal mining incidents and appropriate action will be taken at appropriate time against people who are involved in it.
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