Naval divers detected the body of another miner early this morning at a depth of 280 feet inside a rat-hole in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district where over a dozen miners remain trapped since December 13.
“As informed by the Indian navy, another dead body detected this morning at 3 am at around 280 feet inside the rat hole,” FM Dopth, deputy commissioner of East Jaintia Hills district said.
A rescue official said the second body was detected from the same rat-hole coal mine where the underwater remotely operated vehicle (UROV) found the first body of a miner on January 16 — 32 days after the miners got trapped when flooded on December 13.
“During their search (operation), the Navy team also stumbled on tell-tale signs like spades, a wooden cart and then located the dead miner inside the mine,” the official who wished not to be named told IANS.
“The divers are now making efforts to pull out the body. We are hopeful of taking it out as soon as possible,” he said.
On Thursday, the body of a coal miner was retrieved from the flooded and was identified as that of Amir Hussain of western Assam’s Chirang district.
Police handed over the body to his family on Saturday.