Indian Navy divers retrieve body of third miner from Sutnga coal mine
A total of three bodies have been retrieved to date, and the rescue operation to retrieve other miners is still ongoing.
SHILLONG:
After nearly four weeks of rescue efforts, the Indian Navy divers on Friday managed to retrieve the body of the third miner trapped inside the coal mine at Sutnga in East Jaintia Hills.
A total of three bodies have been retrieved to date, and the rescue operation to retrieve other miners is still ongoing.
Giving details about the rescue work, the Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills, E. Kharmalki said that a joint team of NDRF and SDRF verified the level of water before the Navy divers resumed operation and detected the body.
The Executive Magistrate conducted the inquest at the spot and the body was sent to Khliehriat morgue for post mortem, a press release from the DC's office stated.
The DC further informed that the relatives of the miners from Assam and Tripura have been informed through their respective Superintendent of Police about the identification and claim of the bodies.
It was informed that during the dewatering process, 10,08,000 litres of water was pumped out from shaft no 1, and about 17,55,000 litres were pumped from shaft number 2 to retrieve the body.
Kharmalki informed that the rescue team had earlier on June 16 and June 24 retrieved two bodies, however, no one has come forward to identify and claim the body so far.
Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui statement
Confirming the latest development, Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui informed that of the three bodies retrieved so far, only one body has been identified by the family.
"One of the retrieved persons hailed from the Karimganj district of Assam. All the necessary procedures have been done to send the body back to the village," he said.
When asked about the expenditure incurred in the rescue mission, Rymbui said, "The government hasn't received a report from the DC, but our priority is to retrieve the bodies."
When asked about the magisterial enquiry into this matter, he said that the Home (political) department is dealing with it but, he was made aware that the report is yet to be submitted.
(Edited by Shankar Kumar Turha)
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