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Meghalaya mine rescue: Second body detected by Navy divers

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Jan 26, 2019, 01:47 PM IST
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File photo. Photograph:(ANI)

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The first body, one of the 15 trapped miners, was retrieved earlier this week after a struggle of over 40 days. 

A team of Indian Navy divers has detected a second body at the depth of 280-feet inside the mine in Meghalaya, a Navy spokesperson told news agency ANI. 

The first body, one of the 15 trapped miners, was retrieved earlier this week after a struggle of over 40 days. 

The body was retrieved from a 370-foot deep coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district and has been identified as Amir Hussain of Assam's Chirang district, news agency PTI reported on Friday. The body was identified by his wife and mother who arrived in Khliehriat, the district headquarters, earlier on Friday.

In a joint operation, the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force pulled the body out of the mine's shaft on Thursday, nine days after it was spotted.

"The body retrieved yesterday from Ksan has been identified as Amir Hussain of Chirang district in Assam," East Jaintia Hills District Deputy Commissioner FM Dopth said.

As many as 15 miners got trapped in a rat-hole mine in East Jantia Hills of Meghalaya on December 13. 

The owner of the mine, Krip Chullet, was arrested from his home on December 14. His accomplices are on the run, news agency PTI reported. 

The Meghalaya government has released Rs 1 lakh interim relief for the families of the trapped miners.

The Supreme Court is monitoring the rescue mission and the matter will come up for a hearing next Monday. 

(With inputs from PTI