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Three more arrested in connection with Assam coal mine mishap: Police

ByBiswa Kalyan Purkayastha
Jan 18, 2025 07:49 PM IST

At least nine labourers were feared to be trapped inside an abandoned mine in Umrangso’s 3-Kilo area and four bodies have been recovered so far as the rescue operation continues

Silchar: The Assam police have arrested three more individuals in connection with the coal mine mishap that happened in Dima Hasao district’s Umrangso area on January 6, taking the total number to five.

Security personnel try to control members of the Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASOM) during their protest against the Umrangso Coal Mine incident outside Assam Mineral Development Corporation office in Guwahati on Thursday. (ANI)
Security personnel try to control members of the Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASOM) during their protest against the Umrangso Coal Mine incident outside Assam Mineral Development Corporation office in Guwahati on Thursday. (ANI)

Dima Hasao superintendent of police (SP) Mayank Kumar Jha said that the three arrested people are Sardars (supervisors) and financers behind the illegal mining which led to the tragic incident.

At least nine labourers were feared to be trapped inside an abandoned mine in Umrangso’s 3-Kilo area and four bodies have been recovered so far as the rescue operation continues.

The arrested persons have been identified as Rono Bhadra Hasnu, a resident of Umrangso town, Dildar Hussain s from Nagaon and Bipul Purusha from Haflong. All of them were arrested from Haflong on January 16, according to the police.

Dildar Hussain is part of a racket which brings labourers from across northeast, other parts of India and neighbouring countries like Nepal to the mines in Assam, said people familiar with the matter.

“We have found proof against them and further investigation is going on. We cannot share more details about the arrest because the matter is under investigation,” said the SP.

After the incident on January 6, police registered a case at Umrangso Police Station (Case No: 02/2025) under Section 3(5)/105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and arrested two individuals.

On January 16, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a judicial inquiry, headed by retired judge of Gauhati high court Anima Hazarika, into the mishap.

The state government also announced forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the causes behind the mishap, and to identify the people and institutions responsible for it.

Sarma said that nearly 220 coal mines have been identified in the Umrangso area and the state government is planning to fill in all the illegal mine pits to prevent future tragedies.

The state government also announced compensation of 10 lakh for the families of victims.

Assam minister for mines and minerals, Kaushik Rai on Saturday distributed 10 Lakhs ex-gratia to the next of kin (NoK) of the four persons who died in the coal mine incident. Additionally, the family members of five persons still trapped in the mine received 6 lakhs each.

The distribution programme was organised at the premises of Umrangso Police Station and the amounts were handed over in the presence of the Director General of Police (DGP), Assam, Gyanendra Pratap Singh and other officials of the state government.

“The value of life is immeasurable and the ex-gratia that we are offering today is nothing in comparison to lives lost, the small amount is only to support the bereaved families and show our solidarity,” said the minister.

The minister said that the dewatering process is still on-going and nearly one crore litres of water is being extracted every day, however, a large amount of water is still inside the holes.

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