SHILLONG: The search and rescue operation for the 15 miners, who are trapped in a flooded ‘rat-hole’ coal mine at Khloo Ryngksan in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, resumed on Monday. None of the missing miners could be traced till late on Monday evening.The Navy divers entered the coal pit on Monday but they could not travel deep down to conduct the search operation. Their progress was hindered as the mine shaft was flooded, with the entire passageway, comprising lateral tunnels, not being mapped posing an additional problem.“Divers of the Indian Navy have entered the main shaft of the coal mine to survey the bottom of the sheet using an underwater , remotely-operated vehicle,” spokesperson of the rescue operations R Susgni said. He added that the Navy has requested the East Jaintia Hills district authorities to assist in dewatering the pit up to 30 meters or within safe diving limits.Firefighters of the Odisha fire services are also on the job to dewater at least three abandoned mines flooded nearby, Susgni further said.NDRF officials said there is a possibility that the miners entered and got trapped into the lateral passageways of the mine shaft, making the rescue operation more challenging. Emission of gases from inside the mine is also a major hurdle that the rescue team has to contend with. Even though high-powered pumps have been set up to drain out the water, rescuers are trying to identify the sources from which water is seeping into the mine shaft.Meanwhile, the Mahila Congress on Monday held a protest in the Congress Bhavan in Shillong , blaming the Conrad-Sangma led government for the delay in rescuing the miners.

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