In a grim development, Army divers from the 21 Para Special Forces recovered one body from the flooded coal mine in Umrangso of Dima Hasao district, after nearly 48 hours of relentless rescue efforts.

The labourers were on Monday trapped inside the coal mine situated in the 3 Kilo area of Umrangso, after a sudden gush of water flooded the site. The divers located the body inside the mine early in the morning and its identity was yet to be ascertained, the officials said.

‘Rat-hole’ mining It is a method of extracting coal from horizontal seams in Meghalaya and other northeastern States. Narrow pits are dug into the ground, large enough for one person to fit in and extract the coal, just like rats dig a hole.

An official said that along with the Navy divers and other rescue teams, two water pumping machines have also been deployed to flush out the water.

In response to an urgent call for assistance by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Indian Army on January 6, mobilized a specialized Relief Task Force to rescue miners trapped in Umrangso,

The workers went down the mine at around 9am on Monday; and officials are yet to ascertain the cause of the flooding despite the absence of any rain in the region.