Guwahati, 1st June: The body of one of the three laborers trapped in the illegal rat-hole mine in Ledo’s Tikok West has been recovered after an eight-day rescue operation. Efforts led by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) resumed this morning, intensifying the search for the remaining missing miners.
The tragic incident occurred on May 26 at around 12:30 am at the Tikok West mining site between Bargolai and Namdang areas in Assam’s Tinsukia district. The three trapped miners have been identified as Dawa Cherpa from Bhojpur, Nepal, and John and Fenaal from Meghalaya.
Officials reported that a total of four coal workers were involved in the illegal mining operation. While three ventured inside the rat-hole mine, the fourth was assisting with coal transportation. A sudden landslide in the Patkai hills trapped the three miners inside.
“We suspect the miners have died inside, but we cannot confirm until all bodies are recovered,” said an official involved in the operation. The administration has mobilized multiple agencies to assist in the rescue efforts.
The rescue teams continue to work diligently to locate and retrieve the remaining miners, amid growing concerns and hopes for their recovery.