Shillong, July 13 (PTI) Operations to rescue 15 trapped miners from a private coal pit in South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya were today officially called off after 14 hours of intense search failed to yield results and as the mission posed a threat to the rescuers. "The National Disaster and Rescue Force (NDRF) have called off their mission to rescue any trapped miners and they have submitted a report citing that they found no trapped miners whose chances of survival are thin," District Deputy Commissioner R P Marak told PTI today. A 31-member team of the Guwahati-based NDRF personnel called off their rescue mission after 14 hours of intense search and rescue operations by trained divers more than 100 meters underneath the earths surface late last night, Marak said. The trained rescue personnel had descended into the mine yesterday but till late last night, they failed to come across any of the trapped miners despite using state-of-the-art equipment. Marak said the rescue mission had to be abandoned today due to the fact that the walls of the tiny rat-hole mine from which coal was dug out, was on the verge of collapse after water seeped in. The district authorities had earlier ordered a judicial enquiry into the incident. Three persons, the mine owner and a foreman of a clan and a head labourer, were arrested and booked for causing death due to negligence. (More)
