A dozen miners were trapped on Monday January 6 in a coal mine plagued by flooding in the state of Assam, in northeastern India, Indian police announced. “The coal mine is in a very remote location”underlined a local police official, Mayank Jha, confirming that the mine had suffered a flood and that several men had been surprised by the rising water, in Umrangshu, in the Dima Hasao region.
According to testimonies from local residents, at least 27 miners entered this site Monday morning, several of whom managed to escape as water invaded the wells. Government rescue teams and the army were called in by local authorities.
“We pray for everyone’s safety”
“Bad news from Umrangshu where workers are trapped in a coal mine”declared the head of the government of the state of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, specifying that the exact number of minors missing was not confirmed. “We pray for everyone’s safety”he added, in a press release.
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In India, with the coal convicts
Nearly 70% of India’s electricity is supplied by coal-fired power plants. According to the Indian government of Narendra Modi, the world’s most populous country, with 1.4 billion people, cannot wean itself off fossil fuels due to its growing energy needs and severe poverty.
