Shillong, June 2: One more body was recovered from an abandoned mine in East Jaintia Hills, on June 1.
This is the second incident in a month.
Earlier on May 10, body of another man was recovered after it was found floating on May 9 . The body is yet to be identified.
Regarding the fresh incident, a statement issued by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), said on Tuesday that it successfully retrieved the body from the abandoned coal mine
The body of the 41-year-old man was found on the abandoned coal mine near old DC Office, Khliehriat, after a six-day loperation.
Personnel of the 1st SDRF Battalion based in Shillong were activated by the District Administration on May 27 following reports that the 41-year-old man accidentally fell into the abandoned coal mine on May 26 , while attempting to fetch drinking water near Khliehriat.
The mine was around 120 feet deep.
“Upon receiving information about the incident, personnel from the 1st Battalion, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), immediately rushed to the site to assess the situation and initiate rescue operations. However, due to fading daylight and unsafe conditions, rescue efforts did not commence on the same day”, said PH Shylla, Senior Staff Officer & Public Relations Officer, Directorate of Civil Defence & Home Guards..
According to Shylla, the operation faced significant challenges, as the mine contained around 40 feet of water, making access to the victim extremely difficult. Family members of the victim and local residents extended their support by assisting in the installation and operation of pumping equipment to reduce the water level and facilitate the search operation.
“Following six days of continuous efforts and coordination among SDRF personnel, local authorities, and community members, the operation reached a critical stage on 1st June 2026. At approximately 1830 hours, four SDRF personnel, accompanied by two local volunteers, descended into the mine and conducted a meticulous search. At around 2100 hours, the team successfully located and retrieved the body of the man from the mine. The body was subsequently handed over to the police authorities for further necessary procedures, Shylla said.
