The body of one of the trapped labourers in a coal mine in Umrangso locality in Assam&rsquo;s Dima Hasao district was recovered by the para divers, said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday.&nbsp; 
Taking to X, CM Sarma said, &ldquo;Around 21 Para divers have just recovered a lifeless body from the bottom of the well. Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family.&rdquo;
The CM also said that the rescue operation is in full swing with Army and NDRF personnel entering the well.
&ldquo;The rescue operation is in full swing with Army and NDRF divers having already entered the well. Navy personnel are on-site, making final preparations to dive in after them. Meanwhile, SDRF de-watering pumps have departed from Umrangshu for the location. Additionally, the ONGC de-watering pump has been loaded onto an MI-17 helicopter at Kumbhigram, awaiting weather clearance for deployment,&rdquo; CM Sarma added.
Earlier, Chief Minister Sarma said that the illegal coal mining was carried out at the site where the labourers got trapped and a case in relevant sections was registered.
Police have arrested one person in connection with the illegal coal mining.
The chief minister said in an X post, &ldquo;The police have registered an FIR under Umrangso PS Case No: 02/2025, citing Sections 3(5)/105 BNS, r/w Section 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, to investigate the incident. Prima facie, it appears to be an illegal mine. One Punish Nunisa has been arrested in connection with the case.&rdquo;
At least nine labourers have been identified who were trapped in a coal mine in the Umrangso locality since January 6. Out of the nine labourers, one is a national of Nepal, one from West Bengal and the rest hail from different parts of Assam. They have been identified as Ganga Bahadur Shreth, Hussain Ali, Jakir Hussain, Sarpa Barman, Mustafa Seikh, Khusi Mohan Rai, Sanjit Sarkar, Lijan Magar and Sarat Goyary.
&mdash;IANS

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January 8, 2025 | 11:13 IST