Rescue team enters BCCL mine with hope of finding survivors

The Chief Minister had to cut short his visit to the the disaster site around noon, with the police making a lathicharge to keep at bay a hostile mob of miners and relatives of those trapped shouting slogans demanding that officials responsible for the mishap be `hanged’.

Later, he told newsmen at the Jamadoba guest house that he was "still hopeful" about the survival of the miners and the two BCCL officials imprisoned 214 metres below ground by a wall of water. "We are enquiring into the tragedy."

Mehta, who was supervising the operations said, "the rescue team will try to puncture a hole inside the shaft to ascertain if there is life."

Seven pumps were deployed for dewatering operations, but water was still entering the flooded mine, BCCL chief general manager (coal washeries) Ramesh Khanna said.

The number of those trapped was not clear as the authorities said they had 38 names. The number given yesterday was also 38, but later revised to 35.

Khanna, coordinating rescue efforts, said 60 million gallons of water gushed inside the mine after breaching the barrier with adjacent Jairampur colliery at 12.15 PM yesterday.

He said the pumps deployed were sucking out 4000 gallons of water per minute from the mine, while two more sets were in the process of being deployed.

Coal India Limited acting chairman cum managing director C D Ahra, who reached the accident site this morning said "top priority is being accorded to rescue those trapped."

Asked about the possible factors leading to the disaster, he told newsmen that he was not there to "do a post mortem of the accident, which is the responsibility of the directorate general of mines safety or an enquiry body".

Jharkhand Minister for Rural Development Bachha Singh was critical about the BCCL management’s rescue efforts saying that the accident was caused by their “negligence”.

"The accident could have been averted if the mine management had taken preventive measures," Singh told newsmen.

Blaming BCCL officials of "flouting" safety norms, the Minister said a week ago a supervisor of the mine had reported that water was leaking into the mine, but the management took no action.

Singh said he would recommend to the Centre for improving safety standards in BCCL mines, "which have gone from bad to worse."