Search for the four trapped miners ended after 28 hours with the recovery of three more bodies today from the Basantimata coal mine here, the roof of which had caved in.
“The bodies of Sitaram Majhi, Litu Saha, and Assistant Manager Arup Chatterjee were extricated today with the help of professional well diggers,” BCCL sources said.
The body of another miner, Heera Lal, was brought out yesterday. All the bodies were sent for post-mortem.
The mine accident occurred when the roof of the Basantimata mine caved in at 11.15 am yesterday during an inspection by colliery officials. The last body was brought out at 3.40 pm today.
Rescue teams of BCCL and ECL were unable to extricate the bodies and the help of professional well diggers of nearby Nirsa area was sought, General Manager of the Chanch/Victoria area of BCCL in which the mine falls, T S Mandal said.
Over 20 diggers pierced the collapsed roof and brought out the bodies.
BCCL Chief General Manager T K Lahiri today said there must have been some mistake in selecting the spot where the mining was on.
An enquiry has been ordered into the accident, Lahiri said adding compensation and job to the family members of the deceased would be made as per norms.