Shillong, January 17: The Indian Navy on Thursday recovered a body from the illegal coal mine at East Jaintia Hills where 15 miners were trapped since 15th December 2019. According to a tweet by ANI, the body was found from a depth of more than 200 feet while the search operations for the rest of the miners continue. The families of the trapped miners had said that they are giving up on them being alive even as rescuers struggle to dewater the pit. “We have lost all hope to see him alive again. I just wish they retrieve the bodies of my sons so that we can solemnly perform their last rites and pray for them,” a miners kin was quoted by IANS. Meghalaya Mining Tragedy: 28 Lakh Litres of Water Pumped Out of Rat-Hole Mine but No Change in Water Level, Says Navy. 

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is coordinating the rescue operations with the help of Navy, the NDMA and Coal India Ltd. High-powered submersible pumps were used to drain out water from interconnected shafts.  Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had expressed dissatisfaction over the steps taken by the Meghalaya government to rescue the trapped miners. The top court said, "prompt, immediate and effective" operation is needed to rescue them as it was a matter of life and death. What Is Rat-Hole Mining? 15 Meghalaya Miners Trapped in Illegal Mine Waits for Help From Government.

The rat-hole mine, in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, was flooded when water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into it, trapping 15 miners. The rat-hole mining involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually three-four feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed "rat holes" as each just about fits one person.

On January 7, the bodies of two miners were recovered from an illegal coal mine located at a remote village in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district. According to a report by PTI, the bodies were recovered from the coal mine in Jalyiah village. The man, who was arrested in connection with the mine mishap in December 2018 had admitted that he was the owner of the 370-foot-deep illegal quarry. During interrogation, the owner, Krip Chullet, was arrested on December 14, admitted during interrogation that the mine in Lumthari village of Khliehriat area belonged.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 17, 2019 09:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).