Assam Coal Mine Disaster

• Assam Chief Minister, Punish Nunisa, arrested in connection with a case registered under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

• The incident occurred in a mine in a jungle at 3 Kilo, about 30 kilometers from Umrangso.

• Rescue operations began in the morning, with water levels rising to over 100 feet.

• Trapped miners include Ganga Bahadur Shreth, Sanjit Sarkar, Hussain Ali, Jakir Hussain, Sarpa Barman, Mustafa Seikh, Khusi Mohan Rai, Lijan Magar, and Sarat Goyary.

• Coal mine mishaps are common in the northeast, with previous incidents including a fire in Nagaland’s Wokha district in 2024, a mine in Assam’s Tinsukia district in May 2022, and a rat-hole coal mine disaster in Meghalaya’s Ksan area in December 2018.