The multiple agencies racing against time at the ill fated Ksan coal mine to rescue the trapped miners in Meghalaya have started the joint operation at 10 am on Monday.
While the Indian Navy entered the main shaft to survey the bottom of the sheet using an Under Water Remotely Vehicle (UWROV), East Jaintia Hills district administration officials said that the Indian Navy has also requested the District Administration to assist in dewatering so that it comes down to 30 meters or within safe diving limit.
“The Navy divers will commence diving again once the water level is brought down. These safety measures are being undertaken to rule out decompression sickness (DCS),” they said.
The NDRF available on the site with two teams will provide all support and assistance to other agencies including Indian Navy.
The NDRF are providing all logistics and human resource help to the Indian Navy.
“The Fire Service Odissa are on the job currently and will commence the pumping of at least three machines in the nearby shafts,” the officials said.
On Sunday, Five divers from the Indian navy and one NDRF man dived 70 feet down the coal mine but failed to trace anything.
The mine is total 370-feet deep.
Assistant commandant of NDRF, Santosh Kumar Singh said that the depth of the water inside the mine is too much. “The divers went around 70 feet down but were not able to reach the ground level. The water is cold which makes the operation difficult,” Singh told yesterday.
About 200 rescuers from various agencies are currently operating and assisting each others at the site.
Rescuers said that lack of a mine map is one of the major challenges faced by the rescuers.