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WB: 6 rescued from abandoned mine

May 03, 2014 21:54 IST

Six persons were rescued after being trapped in an abandoned coal mine at Jamuria in Asansol-Raniganj belt in Burdwan district on Saturday evening. 

West Bengal Agriculture minister and local MLA Malay Ghatak told PTI, the six were taken to nearby KallaHospital for medical check-up and they were fine. 

The men, all local villagers, were trapped as the abandoned mine caved on Friday afternoon and were trapped underneath for over 30 hours.

Two Rescue Teams from Eastern Coalfields Ltd and the state worked in tandem for hours drilling a parallel to the abandoned mine and the six were taken out one by one at around 5:30 pm, Ghatak, camping at the site said.

Anxious faces, crowding around the fenced site at Pariharpur hamelt since last evening, gave way to jubilation and relief among relatives and neighbours as the men, all locals, came out wearing Oxygen masks and some hugged the rescue personnel after the high drama.

The coal-rich area is dotted with illegal mines as a section of locals regularly extract the mineral for selling in open market.

The administration, in coordination with Eastern Coalfields Ltd (EC), sometimes undertake drive. 

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