Water enters coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao, several feared trapped
Guwahati, Jan 6: An unspecified number of workers were feared trapped inside a coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district on Monday, after a sudden gush of water flooded the site, officials said.
The incident took place at the Assam Coal Quarry, situated in the 3 Kilo area of Umrangso in the district.
According to employees of the quarry, there were around 15 workers inside the mine, though the authorities did not confirm the number.
“Distressing news from Umrangshu, where labourers are trapped in a coal mine. The exact number and status are yet unknown. The DC, SP and my colleague Kaushik Rai are rushing to the site. Praying to God for everyone's safety,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X.
The army's assistance has been sought in the rescue operation, he said.
“The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are also on their way to the incident site to aid in the efforts,” the CM said.
Dima Hasao Superintendent of Police (SP) Mayank Jha told reporters that several labourers are feared trapped.
Eyewitness accounts and initial assessments suggest that the flooding occurred unexpectedly, leaving the workers unable to escape from the mine.
Rescue operations were launched immediately with teams consisting of local authorities, emergency responders and mining experts working to locate and free the trapped workers, the officials said.
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Bangladesh's interim govt revokes ousted PM Sheikh Hasina's passport
Dhaka, Jan 7: Bangladesh's interim government on Tuesday said it has revoked the passport of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 96 others over their alleged involvement in enforced disappearances and the July killings.
Hasina, 77, has been living in India since August 5 last year when she fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's (AL) 16-year regime.
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for “crimes against humanity and genocide”.
Addressing a press briefing here, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said, "The Passports Department cancelled passports of 22 people involved in enforced disappearances, while passports of 75 people, including Sheikh Hasina, were revoked due to their involvement in the July killings.”
He, however, did not reveal the names of the remaining individuals whose passports were cancelled, the state-run BSS news agency reported.
