Miners Still Trapped in Meghalaya Coal Mine, Rain Hampers Rescue Efforts
News 18Heavy 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 Elaka since Sunday when a dynamite blast had led to the flooding of the coal mine. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma held the state government responsible for the incident and alleged that illegal coal mining operates with complete impunity across Meghalaya. "Illegality of this scale cannot happen without the patronage by the people in authority — both illegal mining and illegal transportation go under the watch of the government," the former chief minister had said.