Search and rescue personnel engaged to retrieve at least 13 coal miners trapped in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills since Thursday have not been able to yield any result.

Over 100 personnel have been pressed into service since Friday morning to retrieve the 13 miners from a coal mine at Ksan near the Lyteiñ river under Saipung police station. They include 69 officers and men from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Guwahati, 12 from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and 11 from the civil defence, Jowai, West Jaintia Hills district.

On Thursday, East Jaintia Hills police received information about the mishap, and superintendent of police Sylvester Nongtnger said that the mine appeared to be an abandoned one where work had resumed three-four days ago.

The police and the district administration suspected that the source of the overflowing water inside the mine was the river. However, officially, the water source has not been established as yet.

The search and rescue operation started around 9.45am on Friday and will resume at 7 am on Saturday.

Official sources said that the mine where the 13 miners are feared trapped is 320 feet deep. The water inside the mine is around 70 feet deep. The mine is divided into sub-channels, the sources said.

The entrance of the coal mine Picture courtesy: NDRF

“NDRF rescuers and divers searched inside the flooded coal mine and all accessible areas with the help of boats from 9.45am to 5 pm. The depth of water has been assessed to be around 70 feet. The water is murky due to mud and coal dust, and hence visibility is poor,” a source said.

There is also no map or plan of the mining chambers available. “There is a network of lanes and bylanes and tunnels all of which is now under water,” the sources said. The area is more than 150km from here.

A photo of the coal pit, believed to have been taken by one of the miners from Garo Hills, has surfaced. The labourer had sent the picture to his wife back home on his mobile phone.

The personnel were struggling to pump out the water from the mine with the help of two pumps, but the water level did not recede much.

On Friday, Nongtnger said the police have identified the coal mine owner as James Sukhlain from Lumthari, who is “absconding”.

An FIR has been lodged against him under Sections 188, 304A and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, Section 3(2)(d) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and Section 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.

Three of the miners trapped inside are also from Lumthari. The remaining 10 were from the plains belt of West Garo Hills and Assam.

Nongtnger said the police were yet to know if any miner was alive.

The names of the 13 labourers had been provided to the police by local people, he added.