Assam: Three remain trapped inside illegal rat-hole mine in Tinsukia district for second day

Three people remained trapped inside an illegal rat-hole mine in Assam's Tinsukia district for the second consecutive day on Monday as efforts continued to rescue them, officials said.

Officials feared that the trio might have died but their deaths could be confirmed if their bodies were retrieved.

The incident took place in Ledo's Tikok West mining site between Bargolai and Namdang areas around 12.30 am on Sunday.

"Three coal miners are trapped inside the illegal rat-hole mine after the landslide in Patkai hills. 

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Among those trapped is Dawa Cherpa from Bhojpur in Nepal and two workers are from Meghalaya, identified as John and Fenaal," he added. 

In total, four coal workers were engaged in the work of procuring illegal coal from the rat-hole mine, the official said. 

"Three of them went inside the mine and the fourth one was assisting in coal transportation. Suddenly, a landslide occurred, which trapped the three workers inside the mine. "It has been suspected that they died inside the coal mine but we cannot say it until we get their bodies," the official said. The administration is carrying out a rescue operation at the moment and several agencies are being called in to assist, he added.