The four trapped people kept digging for 20 hours to find a way out. (Represent)
Bokaro, Jharkhand:
Four people trapped in an abandoned coal mine in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district during Friday’s illegal excavation found their way out on Monday morning, police said.
The four people, all residents of Tilatand village in Chandankiyari area, said they had been digging for 20 hours continuously to find a way out of the Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) mine in Parbatpur.
Police Chief Chandan Kumar Jha said those trapped, identified as Laxman Rajwar, 42, Anadi Singh, 45, Ravana Rajwar, 46, and Bharat Singh, 45, managed to get out around 3:30 a.m. Monday.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel were deployed for a rescue operation on Sunday after district and BCCL authorities failed to locate them.
Mr Jha said that six people entered the closed coal mine for illegal excavation on Friday and they became trapped after part of it was brought in.
Two tried to get out soon after the incident, but the other four were unable to find their way out despite their best efforts to locate them.
Police official said that Parbatpur coal block under the management of Electrosteel Plant has been acquired by BCCL.
However, the authorities have remained silent on whether any legal action will be taken against the four for their involvement in illegal mining.
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