What are ‘rat miners’? Controversial specialists brought in for final stretch of India tunnel rescue
1 year, 1 month ago

What are ‘rat miners’? Controversial specialists brought in for final stretch of India tunnel rescue

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A mining technique that has been prohibited in India over safety concerns has proven instrumental in rescuing the 41 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in the Himalayas. The technique dubbed “rat-hole mining” has been used to dig through the final stretch of fallen rocks and debris and reach the workers, who have remained trapped in the collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand for 17 days. Rescue workers began trying to drill through the collapsed portion of the tunnel using a US-made augur machine, which was flown in to the site, but it has broken down repeatedly and was deemed “irreparable” with a significant portion of the 60m debris wall still to go. open image in gallery Indian miners trapped in illegal ‘rat-hole’ pit for more than three weeks These workers are trained in narrow tunnel excavations and use handheld tools for digging through rock.

India Rescue Coal Tunnel Technique Rat Miners  controversial  trapped  mining  tunnel  brought  coal  collapsed  final  specialists  sign  workers  stretch  technique  rathole  rescue  rat  miners  india

History of this topic

Assam mine tragedy: Six-year-old query from Supreme Court on rat-hole mines remains unanswered
2 days, 5 hours ago

Assam mine tragedy: Six-year-old query from Supreme Court on rat-hole mines remains unanswered

The Hindu  

An oral question from the Supreme Court to the Union government continues to remain unanswered even as rescue workers recover bodies of workers who died trapped in a flooded rat-hole coal mine at Dima Hasao district in Assam. On January 11, 2019, nearly six years ago, the top court had asked whether rat-hole mines could possibly operate in the northeast …

Assam mining tragedy: Rescue operations enter day 7
3 days, 11 hours ago

Assam mining tragedy: Rescue operations enter day 7

Deccan Chronicle  

The joint search and rescue operations are underway at the rat-hole coal mine at 3 Kilo Umrangso area in Assam's Dima Hasao to locate 5 other trapped workers.The rescue teams of the Indian army, Indian Navy, NDRF and other agencies have retrieved four bodies from the flooded rat-hole mine. The rescue operations are still underway, with five miners still missing.A …

Assam mine: One body recovered from flooded Indian mine as rescuers search for trapped men
1 week, 1 day ago

Assam mine: One body recovered from flooded Indian mine as rescuers search for trapped men

CNN  

Guwahati, India - The body of a miner was recovered from a flooded coal mine in a remote district of India’s northeastern state of Assam on Wednesday, two days into the search for nine men trapped below ground. The mine, which is 300 feet deep and has multiple underground tunnels, is thought to have flooded on Monday morning after miners …

9 trapped in flooded rat-hole mine in Assam, rescue operation launched
1 week, 2 days ago

9 trapped in flooded rat-hole mine in Assam, rescue operation launched

India Today  

In a grim development from Assam's Dima Hasao district, nine workers are trapped inside a 'rat hole' coal mine after water gushed into the 300-foot-deep quarry. After the incident, specialised teams from the Indian Army, State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force launched a joint operation to rescue the workers. In a similar incident in December 2018, …

Rat-hole miners roped in to rescue child stuck inside borewell for over 48 hours
3 weeks ago

Rat-hole miners roped in to rescue child stuck inside borewell for over 48 hours

India Today  

Efforts to rescue 3-year-old Chetna continue in Rajasthan's Kotputli, over 48 hours since she fell into a borewell. Chetna fell into a 700-feet deep borewell in the Kotputli district of Rajasthan on Monday evening and got stuck at 150 feet. The technique delivered huge success last year in November, as a team of seven rat-hole miners rescued 41 workers trapped …

None of 26,000 rat-hole mines closed yet, Meghalaya HC told
8 months ago

None of 26,000 rat-hole mines closed yet, Meghalaya HC told

Hindustan Times  

None of the 26,000 abandoned rat-hole mines in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya has so far been closed despite an order, posing a threat of loss of life to humans as well as livestock, according to an interim report of a committee formed to monitor the mining and transportation of coal in the north-eastern state. The National Green Tribunal …

Fire in Nagaland’s ‘rat-hole’ coal mine kills many
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Fire in Nagaland’s ‘rat-hole’ coal mine kills many

The Hindu  

GUWAHATI Six workers were killed and four others seriously injured after a fire broke out in a rat-hole coal mine in Nagaland’s Wokha district in the afternoon of January 25. The district officials did not provide details of the mishap but local MLA Achumbemo Kikon said the fire incident was reported from a rat-hole coal mine between 12:30 and 1 …

How rat miners rescued workers from Indian tunnel after 17 days
1 year, 1 month ago

How rat miners rescued workers from Indian tunnel after 17 days

Al Jazeera  

On Tuesday, rescue workers managed to bring India a dose of good news, saving 41 men who had been trapped under a collapsed tunnel in India’s Himalayan Uttarakhand state since November 12. But after days of attempts, it wasn’t just high-tech tools that brought success — a team of so-called rat miners, practicing a craft that’s officially illegal, proved saviours …

Uttarakhand tunnel rescue: Rat-mining gets the job done!
1 year, 1 month ago

Uttarakhand tunnel rescue: Rat-mining gets the job done!

Hindustan Times  

For 24 hours, Munna Qureshi kept digging away, metres deep inside a 2.6-feet-wide steel pipe. The job eventually fell to 12 so-called “rat-hole miners” or “rat miners” such as Qureshi, who were tasked with chipping away at 12 metres of debris — at the end of it lay freedom for all those men and relief for all their families. “I …

‘I removed last rock and saw them’: Rat-hole miner who rescued trapped workers
1 year, 1 month ago

‘I removed last rock and saw them’: Rat-hole miner who rescued trapped workers

Hindustan Times  

Silkyara : Munna Qureshi, a rat-hole miner working in a Delhi company, was the first one to reach and greet the workers trapped in the collapased under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi at about 7.05pm on Tuesday. The rat-hole miners said that they started removing the debris at around 7pm on Monday and the entire operation was completed in less than …

How the Controversial Rat-hole Mining Helped in Saving Trapped Workers in Uttarkashi Tunnel
1 year, 1 month ago

How the Controversial Rat-hole Mining Helped in Saving Trapped Workers in Uttarkashi Tunnel

News 18  

After all the efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel failed to make headway, a banned mining practice came to the aid of the rescuers. The Rat-hole mining technique, which began on Monday, helped reduce the distance between the trapped workers and the rescuers as a team of “rat-hole miners” drilled through tonnes of concrete and …

Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: Good news by this evening? CM Dhami's big update
1 year, 1 month ago

Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: Good news by this evening? CM Dhami's big update

Hindustan Times  

As the rescue operations entered the 17th day in the Silkyara tunnel, rescuers crossed the 50-metre mark and needed to dig through around seven metres of rubble using rat-hole mining techniques to bring out the 41 trapped workers. "Rat miners" stand before they begin manual drilling as rescue operations are in progress after workers got trapped in a collapse of …

India rescuers dig by hand to free 41 tunnel workers trapped for weeks
1 year, 1 month ago

India rescuers dig by hand to free 41 tunnel workers trapped for weeks

Al Jazeera  

‘Rat miners’ to drill through a narrow pipe to pull out workers trapped in the Himalayan tunnel after high-powered machines fail. Rescuers in India are preparing to dig by hand to reach 41 workers trapped in a collapsed road tunnel for 16 days, a rescue operation hit by repeated setbacks. The drilling from inside the pipe, which is 900mm wide, …

The Minor Coal Miners of Meghalaya
2 years ago

The Minor Coal Miners of Meghalaya

News 18  

When the sun sets early in Meghalaya’s Jaintia hills, the scenic beauty resembles a Monet painting. In this picturesque surreal beauty lay the dark, ugly truth of minor coal miners and the harsh reality of human trafficking. In the biting cold of Meghalaya where the hilly roads are covered in rain, most part of the year, one can find the …

Rescue operation for trapped miners in Meghalaya called off due to rain
3 years, 6 months ago

Rescue operation for trapped miners in Meghalaya called off due to rain

India TV News  

Thirty-nine days after five miners were trapped in a flooded coal mine in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district, the state government has called off the rescue operation due to incessant rainfall, an official said on Thursday. After three bodies could be retrieved from inside the mine since mid-June, the district administration was forced to take the decision given the increasing …

Rescuers Unable to Retrieve Object Suspected to be Body of Miner from Meghalaya Coal Pit
3 years, 6 months ago

Rescuers Unable to Retrieve Object Suspected to be Body of Miner from Meghalaya Coal Pit

News 18  

Rescuers on Thursday were unable to retrieve a "suspicious object", likely to be the body of a miner, due to the accumulation of debris at the bottom of the flooded 152-metre-deep coal pit in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district where five people have been trapped since May 30, an official said. As the dewatering process was on using 10 high-powered …

First Body Retrieved from Flooded Meghalaya Coal Mine
3 years, 6 months ago

First Body Retrieved from Flooded Meghalaya Coal Mine

News 18  

A body was retrieved on Wednesday afternoon from the flooded coal pit in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district where five miners were trapped since May 30, an official said. The operation to retrieve the second “suspicious object” was called off as the visibility in the water was affected during the retrieval of the first body, the official said. The ROV …

5 Trapped for 14 Days in Meghalaya Mine, Navy Joins Rescue Efforts
3 years, 7 months ago

5 Trapped for 14 Days in Meghalaya Mine, Navy Joins Rescue Efforts

News 18  

The Indian Navy, which was able to pull out three bodies from a flooded mine in Meghalaya using a sophisticated machine in 2019, on Sunday joined operations to rescue five miners trapped for 14 days in another such illegal coal mine in the state, an official said. The water level in the mine at Umpleng in East Jaintia Hills district, …

Navy to Join in Meghalaya Mine Rescue Efforts; 5 Trapped for 13 Days
3 years, 7 months ago

Navy to Join in Meghalaya Mine Rescue Efforts; 5 Trapped for 13 Days

News 18  

The Indian Navy, which was able to pull out three bodies from a flooded mine in Meghalaya using a sophisticated machine in 2019, will be joining operations to rescue five miners trapped for 13 days in another such illegal coal mine in the state, an official said on Saturday. The water level in the mine at Umpleng in East Jaintia …

Miners Still Trapped in Meghalaya Coal Mine, Rain Hampers Rescue Efforts
3 years, 7 months ago

Miners Still Trapped in Meghalaya Coal Mine, Rain Hampers Rescue Efforts

News 18  

Heavy rainfall on Tuesday is hampering operations to rescue at least five miners trapped for two days deep inside an illegal rat-hole coal pit in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district, officials said. The district administration has identified five miners four from Assam and one from Tripura who were trapped at the coal pit in the remote Umpleng area of Sutnga …

Meghalaya: 5 labourers trapped following flooding at coal mine in East Jaintia Hills
3 years, 7 months ago

Meghalaya: 5 labourers trapped following flooding at coal mine in East Jaintia Hills

India TV News  

Four labourers from Assam and one from Tripura were feared trapped after a dynamite blast led to the flooding of a coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, a senior police officer said. The delay in identification of the probable site was due to inclement weather, poor night light condition, and non-availability of any eye-witness account," the East …

Five Labourers Feared Trapped After Explosion in Illegal Coal Mine in Meghalaya, FIR Registered
3 years, 7 months ago

Five Labourers Feared Trapped After Explosion in Illegal Coal Mine in Meghalaya, FIR Registered

News 18  

A case was on Monday registered in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills police station on the basis of some eye-witnesses against an incident of illegal rat-hole coal mining which left five labourers feared trapped inside the mine after it collapsed due to a “sudden explosion of dynamite”. The district police were able to identify the probable location of the incident at …

'Will not abandon' rescue of Meghalaya miners: Centre, Meghalaya govt assure SC day after navy suspends ops
5 years, 11 months ago

'Will not abandon' rescue of Meghalaya miners: Centre, Meghalaya govt assure SC day after navy suspends ops

Firstpost  

The Centre and the Meghalaya government told the Supreme Court that operations to rescue the 15 miners trapped in a rat-hole mine in the East Jaintia Hills district of the state will not be abandoned. The Centre and the Meghalaya government told the Supreme Court that operations to rescue the miners trapped in a rat-hole mine in the East Jaintia …

Body of trapped Indian ‘rat-hole’ miner found after 35 days
5 years, 11 months ago

Body of trapped Indian ‘rat-hole’ miner found after 35 days

Al Jazeera  

Indian Navy divers find body of one of 15 miners who went missing in a flooded coal mine in remote Meghalaya state. Indian emergency workers have said they have found the body of one of the 15 miners trapped inside a so-called “rat-hole” mine for over a month. 190101084203248 “The body has been pulled up to the mouth of rat-hole …

Month after Meghalaya mine tragedy, NGT committee asks state police to investigate 1,200 cases of illegal mining
6 years ago

Month after Meghalaya mine tragedy, NGT committee asks state police to investigate 1,200 cases of illegal mining

Firstpost  

The Meghalaya police have been told by the NGT that their probe should reach a logical conclusion after taking into account all 1200 cases of illegal rat-hole mining in East Garo Hills, South-West Khasi Hills and West and East Jaintia Hills districts. An official said the police have been told that their probe should reach a logical conclusion after taking …

Meghalaya’s rat hole traps
6 years ago

Meghalaya’s rat hole traps

The Hindu  

It was the compensation cheque, for ₹1 lakh, that convinced Solibar Rahman, 64, that he would never see his 20-year-old son, Monirul Islam, ever again. Monirul is one of the 15 miners trapped in a coal mine barely 2 ft wide — hence called a ‘rat hole’ — in Meghalaya since December 13. Says Daly, “Today not even a tadpole …

Indian miners trapped in illegal ‘rat-hole’ pit for more than three weeks
6 years ago

Indian miners trapped in illegal ‘rat-hole’ pit for more than three weeks

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Indian rescuers trying to reach …

'Trapped Meghalaya miners should be brought out dead or alive': Supreme Court pulls up state govt over plight of workers
6 years ago

'Trapped Meghalaya miners should be brought out dead or alive': Supreme Court pulls up state govt over plight of workers

Firstpost  

The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Meghalaya government over the plight of the 15 miners who have been trapped in a rat hole coal mine since 13 December. We pray to God they are alive.” The 15 miners have been trapped in a 370-feet deep illegal mine in Lumthari village since 13 December, when water from the nearby …

Poverty drives India’s ‘rat-hole’ miners into death traps
6 years ago

Poverty drives India’s ‘rat-hole’ miners into death traps

Al Jazeera  

Twenty days after 15 miners were trapped in an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya state, the search for them goes on. 160707062855721 “Rat-hole” mining was banned in 2014 by India’s National Green Tribunal following a petition that said the acidic discharge from the coal mines was polluting the Kopili River downstream. “Both Mozid and Mizanur decided that the only way …

Meghalaya mine collapse: 16 days on, 3 helmets found; no sign of 15 miners yet | 10 points
6 years ago

Meghalaya mine collapse: 16 days on, 3 helmets found; no sign of 15 miners yet | 10 points

India TV News  

Even though chances of survival are bleak for the 15 miners who are trapped inside a flooded rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya since December 13, rescue operations are being intensified by mining experts, firefighters and Indian Navy. Indian Navy divers on Saturday joined the operation underway to rescue 15 miners trapped inside a flooded rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya since …

Plight of trapped miners in Meghalaya raises important question: Just how low will mining elite stoop to make a profit?
6 years ago

Plight of trapped miners in Meghalaya raises important question: Just how low will mining elite stoop to make a profit?

Firstpost  

Only by a strange twist of fate will the miners — trapped in the flooded mine at Ksan in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills for over two weeks — survive the catastrophe Only by a strange twist of fate will the miners — trapped in the flooded mine at Ksan in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills for over two weeks — survive …

Time running out for trapped miners, hope Coal India Ltd acts on our plea for special pumps, says Meghalaya CM
6 years ago

Time running out for trapped miners, hope Coal India Ltd acts on our plea for special pumps, says Meghalaya CM

Firstpost  

The miners were trapped after water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into the illegal rat-hole mine at Ksan area in Lumthari village. Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma Saturday said time was running out for the miners trapped inside a 370-foot illegal coal mine since December 13 and in its last ditch effort to save them, the state …

Number of miners trapped in 'rat-hole' coal mine in Meghalaya goes up to 15: 7 days on, incessant rain makes rescue ops tricky
6 years ago

Number of miners trapped in 'rat-hole' coal mine in Meghalaya goes up to 15: 7 days on, incessant rain makes rescue ops tricky

Firstpost  

The number of people trapped inside the rat-hole mines of East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya has gone up to 15. Reports confirmed the news as officials are still attempting to rescue the miners who have been tapped inside the illegal coal mines. Shillong: The number of people trapped inside the rat-hole mines of East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya …

Massive operation on to rescue 13 people trapped in illegal mine in Meghalaya
6 years, 1 month ago

Massive operation on to rescue 13 people trapped in illegal mine in Meghalaya

India TV News  

A massive rescue and search operation is on to pull out 13 people who are trapped inside an illegal 'rat hole' coal mine in a remote part of Meghalaya since last two days. Teams of NDRF and state police involving about 100 personnel are trying to reach the trapped people inside the the mine which is said to be 320-feet …

Meghalaya: Operations continue to rescue 13 miners trapped in coal pit filled with gallons of water
6 years, 1 month ago

Meghalaya: Operations continue to rescue 13 miners trapped in coal pit filled with gallons of water

India TV News  

Thirteen miners, who were trapped inside a coal pit filled with gallons of water in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district, were yet to be reached or rescued, district police chief said on Friday. "We are yet to recover the dead bodies from the pit," Sylvester Nongtnger, the district police chief of East Jaintia Hills told IANS. The accident inside the …

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