Rescue operation in Meghalaya coal mine to be stopped

Four months after the coal mine tragedy in Meghalaya, the rescue operations to retrieve the bodies of trapped miners are going to end, following requests from the families of the victims.

New Delhi: Following months of operations to rescue miners trapped inside Meghalaya coal mine, the families of the victims have urged Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to end the process since the bodies could not be retrieved.

Following this, the Meghalaya Government have also decided to approach the Supreme Court to call off the rescue operation to retrieve bodies of the remaining 13 coal miners who have been trapped inside a coal mine at Khloe Ryngksan in East Jaintia Hills District in Meghalaya.

According to the reports, water levels inside the mine are not residing and the process of retrieving the bodies have become difficult.

Moreover, the acidic nature of the water inside has caused the disintegration of bodies.

"It's more than 4 months and only two bodies have been recovered. Chances of retrieving the bodies are very low," said CK Nayak, senior journalist and privy to the development related to the trapped miners.

The navy had detected three more bodies by using the Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle, but till date, the bodies have not been taken out.

The cost of rescue operations and the manpower required to conduct the operations are high. Meghalaya Chief Minister considered the same reason to cancel the operations.

"The relatives of the victims also want the rescue operation to be stopped," said Nayak.

"Even if the bodies are recovered, they could not be identified," he added.

After the Supreme Court intervened into the matter, the rescue operation was continuing for more than 125 days, but without any results.