Group of Miners Trapped Inside 'Rat Hole' Coal Mine for Fifth Day
On 6/3/21 at 12:31 PM EDT
Search and rescue efforts continue for a group of miners trapped for five days in a coal mine in the Indian state of Meghalaya.
Eyewitnesses said the illegal coal mine was quickly flooded after a sudden dynamite explosion in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills District on May 30, NDTV reports.
The heavy rainfall has hindered rescue efforts inside the coal mine, known as a "rat hole" because of the narrow crevices through which coal is extracted. According to the BBC, "rat hole" mining was banned in 2014 but is still widely practiced across the East Jaintia Hills area.