Fourteen miners trapped in ECL's colliery

Asansol, Jun 1 (UNI) At least fourteen miners have been trapped in an ECL's colliery here this evening and attempts were on to rescue them, ECL official said.

ECL spokesman Partho Gupta the miners, who took an alternative route to get inside the pit of Satgram project with a trolley at 1630 hours, trapped in an undisclosed position, about 100 foot down, were yet to be located.

He said first attempt to resuce them proved abortive.

A second resuce team from ECL's Sanctoria office, headquarters of ECL, rushed to the spot with sophisticated equipment.

The team is headed by the director of mine safety, ECL's director of project and the director of personnel.

Additional district magistrate, Asansol, Narayan Swarup Nigam, admitted the accident and said the rescue operation was on.

Mr Partha Gupta, the ECL's Public relations officer, said the miners took the alternative route to get into the pit as the convensional route was not safe.

The mine is located at Ranigunj in Burdwan district, about 13 kms east of Asansol sub-division.

Panic reigned supreme at the site as relatives of miners thronged there.

Police cordoned off the site for rescue operation.

UNI