The owner of the coal mine in which at least five miners are feared to have been trapped for the last four days was arrested, police said today.
The owner, Shining Langstang, was arrested from Sutnga village near the mine, which appears, prima facie, to have been operating illegally. Another arrested person, whose identity was not disclosed by police, tested positive for Covid-19. Police said his statement has not been recorded as he is in an isolation centre in Khliehriat.
In the meantime, six miners who escaped the accident were sent home to Assam, police said. The coal mine manager, Nizam Uddin, meanwhile, who fled the scene and threatened locals against speaking up about the incident, is yet to be traced by the police.
Meanwhile, there is no headway in the search for the trapped miners.
East Jaiñtia Hills Deputy Commissioner, E Kharmalki, said concerted rescue efforts by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police, supported by personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), were so far not successful.
He said the rescue teams confirmed that the height of the water is 150 feet and it is not conducive to descend into the flooded mine at present. More water pumps are needed to dry out the shafts, which will be tried again tomorrow, he added.
The latest in a string of mining disasters in Meghalaya involving banned rat-hole operations took place on May 30 when a dynamite explosion flooded the mine.
