50 Workers Remain Trapped in Illegal Mine
Hopes for the survival of 50 workers trapped since last week in an illegal mine in eastern India were fading.
The mine caved in Wednesday near Lalbandh, 150 miles north of Calcutta in West Bengal state.
Some of the trapped workers could be heard shouting for help, but rescue officials said that they feared any attempt to drill holes to drop food might cause further damage.
The rescue teams were exploring the possibility of digging a tunnel from a safe portion of the adjoining land as an exit route for the trapped workers.
Clearing the rubble to get to the workers could take “at least three to four months,” said Anjan Mukherjee, technical director of state-owned Eastern Coalfields Ltd.
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