Rescue operations were underway at Eastern Coalfields Ltd’s Kumardihi A underground mine in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district after a technical fault in the pulley system left several workers trapped around 50 metres below ground on Monday, officials said.
ECL CMD Satish Jha said the incident occurred after a rope slipped off the pulley drum, disrupting the lifting cage used to transport workers through the mine shaft. The workers were stranded at a depth of approximately 50 metres, while the pulley system extends to about 90 metres, he said.
“There were no casualties, and food and water had been supplied to the trapped workers. Work was underway to bring them out safely,” Jha said. He added that efforts were focused on repairing the system and bringing the workers out of the mine.
Suvendu Adhikari said ECL had informed the state government that the workers were trapped because of a technical fault in the lift. Communication with the workers was being maintained and adequate ventilation was available inside the mine, he said.
“ECL authorities had informed the state government that the miners were trapped following a technical fault in the lift. Communication with them was being maintained, and adequate ventilation was available inside the mine,” Adhikari said.
He said the faults in the system were being repaired and that rescue operations were being conducted on a war footing. The Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissioner, the Paschim Bardhaman district magistrate, the chief secretary and the home secretary were in contact with ECL, according to his statement.
A team of policemen was deployed at the mine site, while senior officials from the district administration were also present, an official said. The deployment reflects the involvement of both the mining company and the district authorities in managing the rescue operation.
The incident has placed the mine’s worker-transport system at the centre of the emergency response. The lifting cage and pulley arrangement are used to move personnel through the shaft, and the rope failure halted that movement while the workers were underground. The officials’ statements indicated that food, water, communication and ventilation were available to those trapped while repairs were being carried out.
The supplied report did not state how many workers were inside the mine, the exact time at which the pulley fault occurred, or when the rescue operation was expected to be completed. It also did not provide details of the technical inspection that would follow the incident.
ECL officials and district authorities were continuing rescue work at the Kumardihi A underground mine, with the immediate objective of restoring the lifting mechanism and bringing the trapped workers to the surface safely.
