Shillong, December 19: 14 miners who were trapped inside an illegal "rat-hole" mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district are feared to be dead, locals reports said late on Wednesday. This comes after seven days of rigorous operation undertaken by the state government, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), to save them. The authorities, however, are yet to confirm the death of miners.

The rescue efforts have so far failed to extricate any person as the water level in the flooded mine in East Jaintia Hills district has not receded, a senior official said earlier in the day.

District Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtynger said that the family of a person, Assh Bahadur Limbu of Assam's Karbi Anglong district, has claimed that he was among those inside. If the claim is true, then the total number of people trapped inside the mine now stands at 15, the officer added.

The SP further claimed that the exact number of miners trapped in the mine could not be ascertained as its owners did not maintain a logbook.

The labourers have been trapped in the illegal "rat-hole" mine in Lumthari village of Khliehriat area -- around 80 km from Shillong -- since last Thursday after water from the nearby Lytein river had gushed into it.  They are now feared dead as water from the river has been entering into the 370-feet-deep pit.

The SP said over 100 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the SDRF and the police were at the site and water was being pumped out continuously from the mine.

According to experts, the chances of survival of the trapped miners were diminishing every minute. The mines, they claim, are filled with toxic compounds which would have further deteriorated the condition of miners -- who would have been battling starvation and dehydration.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had on Monday sought the help of the Union Home Ministry. The NDRF has suggested the district administration to ask the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to deploy submersible water pumps to reduce the water level.

(With agency inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 20, 2018 12:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).