'Will not abandon' rescue of Meghalaya miners: Govt tells SC

New Delhi, Jan 21: The Centre and the Meghalaya government told the Supreme Court that operations to rescue the miners trapped in a rat-hole mine in the East Jaintia Hills district of the state will not be abandoned. At least 15 miners are trapped inside the mine since December 13 last year.

A multi-agency operation, that includes NDRF officials, Odisha Fire Department, Indian Navy and other experts are involved in the rescue operations. A team of Indian divers, last week, had spotted the body of one of the 15 miners.

"The Navy today suspended the pulling of the remains, which they had been trying since yesterday evening, as too much disintegration (of the body) took place with every pull by the ROV jaw," operation spokesperson R. Susngi said on Sunday.

The families of four of the 15 miners had on Saturday urged the rescuers to retrieve the decomposed body so that they could perform the last rites.

A multi-agency operation, which included de-watering of the main shaft where the miners are trapped, and of the nearby mines, has failed to yield any result as the water level has not gone down.

The Navy divers were awaiting further instructions from the government, Susngi said.

The family members of the victims from Garo Hills have also been summoned to the site to help identify the body from the video shot underwater by the ROV earlier this week.

An ROV operator from Chennai went on with a search operation in the nearby mines and the Coal India continued de-watering in the two nearby abandoned shafts by running their pumps for 23 hours since Saturday evening, Susngi said.

In the last 46 hours, the Coal India had pumped out over 52 lakh litres of water from the nearby abandoned mines, but it was not enough to bring down the water level that was causing hindrances in the rescue work, Susngi said.

The Kirloskar Brothers Limited, which has also joined the rescue efforts, had managed to pump out over 45 lakh litres of water, he said, adding that the Odisha Fire Services had pumped out approximately 4.5 lakh litres.

The apex court had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the rescue efforts to trace the miners and rapped the Meghalaya government for not seeking the Army's help.