Rescue stalled in abandoned ECL mine, 35 feared dead

Purulia, Aug 6 (UNI) Rescue operations has been stalled in the abandoned ECL mine here, where at least 35 villagers are feared dead, because of poor weather conditions.

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 they might take the army's help for the rescue operation.

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, a report lodged with Neturia police station states 10 people are missing .

Purulia District's Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Prasad also said yesterday 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 waters 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 the 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.

UNI XC JYN SP PA HS1348