SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 26: Continuous heavy rainfall disrupted the ongoing rescue operation by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Saturday, the fourth day since reports surfaced of several individuals allegedly trapped inside abandoned mines of Bharat Coking Coal Limited’s (BCCL) Block-2 area, officials said.
Search Efforts Interrupted by Downpour
According to officials, NDRF teams, along with BCCL’s rescue unit, resumed the search for an illegal mining entry point at around 11:30 am. However, within an hour—by 12:30 pm—the work had to be suspended due to relentless rain.
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“The search for the entry point will resume once the rain stops,” said Baghmara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ajit Kumar, who has been camping at the site with a heavy police presence.
Despite efforts, the rescue operation had not restarted till 5 pm, owing to continuous downpours in the region.
Background of the Incident
The mine roof collapse incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday around 7 pm during illegal mining in abandoned underground mines of BCCL’s Block-2 project.
The next day, Giridih MP CP Choudhary and Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy visited the site and demanded immediate rescue efforts for those allegedly trapped.
Choudhary even staged a sit-in at the local police station, protesting the administration and coal company officials’ claims that the reports were mere rumours.
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Rescue Efforts and Official Response
Following pressure from local representatives and directives reportedly issued by the central government, rescue operations commenced at 6 pm on Thursday. A joint team comprising 35 NDRF personnel and 15 members from BCCL’s rescue wing is engaged in the operation, supported by a single JCB machine.
Interestingly, even on the fifth day since the alleged mishap, no family member of any trapped individual has appeared at the site to claim a missing relative, raising questions about the veracity of the incident.
