! Skeletons spotted in Meghalaya rat-hole mine

January 17, 2019 15:55

Naval divers have spotted several skeletons inside the rat-hole coal mines in Meghalaya through their remotely operated vehicles.

Water inside mines has high sulphur content which can decompose bodies very fast. By evening, forensics experts are likely to reach the spot and suggest the future course of action.

This morning, navy divers found the body of one of the 15 miners who got trapped in the flooded rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district over a month ago.

The Navy divers detected the body using "underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicles) at a depth of approximately 160 feet and 210 feet" inside the rat-hole mine, a Navy spokesperson said on Twitter and attached video grabs of the operation.

The body has been pulled up to the mouth of the 370 feet-deep rat-hole mine and would be extricated under the supervision of doctors, the officials said.

A team of doctors has been rushed to the site to advise the rescuers on how to pull the body out safely, they added.

The arduous multi-agency search and rescue operation -- perhaps India's longest -- had begun after the workers became trapped in the illegal mine on December 13 due to flooding.

Image: Several agencies including Navy, NDRF, Air Force are involved in the rescue operation, which has now turned into a body retrieval operation.

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