States » EastPosted at: Oct 27 2026 4:46PM


Bengal: 12 miners rescued after nearly 12 hours trapped in ECL colliery lifts

Durgapur, Oct 27 (UNI) Twelve coal miners who were stranded in two lift cages at Eastern Coalfields Limited's (ECL) Kumardihi-A colliery were rescued early on Tuesday after nearly 12 hours.
According to ECL officials, a rope slipped off the pulley drum, bringing the movement of two cages in parallel shafts to a halt. The cages are used to transport workers to and from the underground mine. Although rescue operations began soon after the incident, the miners could be brought to the surface only at around 5.30 am on Tuesday.
RKP Singh, general manager of ECL's Bankola Area, said the miners were safe and had been sent to hospital for medical examinations. One of the 12 trapped workers, Akhil Dushad, was shifted to ECL's Kalla Central Hospital after he complained of breathing difficulties.
Singh said an inquiry committee had been constituted to investigate the failure of the engine room drum.
Vertical shaft hoists use enclosed cages suspended from heavy-duty steel wire ropes. Their movement is controlled by a pulley drum located in an engine room on the surface. These hoists serve as the primary means of transporting groups of miners, typically 10 to 14 workers per trip, as well as equipment, between the surface and deep underground coal seams.
The miners were trapped around 50 metres underground at Kumardihi-A colliery, an underground mine near Andal, around 15 km from Durgapur, after the lift mechanism failed on Monday evening.
The incident caused concern at the state administrative headquarters. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, after receiving information from the police, said rescue operations were being conducted on a war footing and communication with the trapped miners was being maintained.
BJP MLA from Pandaveswar Jitendra Tiwari rushed to the spot. He claimed that food and water had been provided to the trapped workers through an alternative arrangement, even as anxiety mounted among their families over the prolonged entrapment.
Sources alleged that lift failures had become frequent at Kumardihi in recent times, with incidents ranging from cages getting stuck to cables snapping. They raised questions over ECL's safety and maintenance protocols.
Miners said they risked their lives daily in the absence of a permanent solution to the recurring problems.
The incident is the latest in a series of mishaps at ECL mines. Earlier this year, two workers were trapped following an air blast at Siduli Colliery and were subsequently rescued. In May last year, a worker died in a cave-in at Parasia Colliery near Durgapur.
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Tags: #Bengal: 12 miners rescued after nearly 12 hours trapped in ECL colliery lifts
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