india

Updated: Feb 26, 2019 00:30 IST

A day after decomposed body parts of an unknown person were detected by Indian Navy divers using an underwater remotely operated vehicle (UROV), today another body has been detected by the UROV at the flooded coal mine in Khloo Ryngksan in Meghalaya’s East Jaiñtia Hills district.

16 miners have been trapped in the illegally operated coal mine since tragedy struck on December 13, last year. “The fourth body was detected at 230 feet in the same rat-hole coal mine at 4:32 p.m.,” R Susngi, spokesperson of the East Jaintia Hills district administration informed while adding that the body is excessively decomposed.

The Navy divers also detected a wooden cart about 20 feet away from the body, the spokesperson said. On January 16, the UROV had detected the first body and extracted it on January 23 which was identified as that of Amir Hussain from Assam’s Chirang district.

A second body was spotted on January 26 but unfortunately slipped the UROV’s jaws during retrieval efforts.