'Chances of their survival very low': Rescue teams race against time to save trapped Meghalaya miners

The rescue operation continued on Wednesday to extract 15 miners trapped inside a mine for around two weeks in Meghalaya, in northeast India.

The miners have been trapped since December 13 inside an illegal mine that has been flooded in Meghalaya amid dwindling hopes of finding them alive.

"Two teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) are running this operation. The operation is going on," NDRF spokesperson Anil Shekhawat told EFE.

Shekhawat dismissed local media reports that the rescue work had been suspended in the mine, located in the East Jaintia Hills district.

"Not suspended. Technically we are considering things and assessing the situation on the ground, and after doing all assessment, the operation is still going on (and will continue) until the final confirmation comes from the administration," said the spokesperson.

Rescue teams have to first clear the water in the area before proceeding with the operation in the vertical mine shaft.

Shaft mining, which includes digging vertical tunnels into the ground, were outlawed in 2014 by the National Green Tribunal in Meghalaya.

"The situation is very, very difficult, so (chances of) survival is also very, very, low depending on the situation because all the area is flooded," said Shekhawat.