Army,CISF survey accident spot, 35 feared trapped in mine

Purulia, Aug 6 (UNI) CISF and army officials visited the bandoned ECL mine after they were called to recover the bodies of at least 35 villagers feared dead in the mine here under Neturia police station area.

Superintendent of Police Ashok Das informed UNI this evening that the district authorites sought the help of army to recover the bodies of the villagers feared dead after being trapped for the last five days.

Two representatives of CISF and army arrived at the site in Gangtikuli to explore ways the jawans could take to rescue trapped people.

However, they are not specialists and the main work will be taken up by the army from either Fort William or Barrackpore.

District Magistrate Debobrata Bandyopadyay today visited the site and said, ''Illegal mining was taking place in the Guntigura mine.

We cannot say officially how many people are trapped.'' The District Magistrate also said that they might take the army's help for the rescue operation.

Official sources added that water level was rising every day making it almost impossible for the people to survive.

Official sources said the accident occurred when a flash flood swept the mine, some 250 km west of Kolkata.

Though 35 people are feared dead, general diary had been lodged with Neturia police station about only 10 missing people.

Purulia District's Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Prasad also said yesterday that he was not sure of the exact number of trapped persons.

Eastern Coalfields Limited's rescue party had reached the spot on August 3 but failed to retrieve anyone from the pit.

According to the rescue party, water could not be pumped out as the mine wall caved in and water of river Damodar gushed in.

Neturia police had rushed to the spot with reinforcements to conduct rescue operation but could not succeed in saving anyone.

CPI (M) MP Basudeb Acharyya, who visited the area yesterday, was gheraoed by local villagers.

He said the relatives of the victims, who were from bordering Jharkhand, informed him that about 30 to 35 people were trapped in the mine when water gushed in.

He assured the local people that he would go to New Delhi to press for stoppage of illegal mining.

Sources said the victims were extracting coal illegally from the abandoned mine.

However, Coal Minister Sibu Soren did not to reach the spot.

UNI XC BA AB VA RN2120