The Supreme Court on Thursday prayed for the well-being of the trapped Meghalaya miners as it expressed its dissatisfaction with the rescue efforts.
A bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and S Abdul Nazeer asked the Meghalaya government as to why it was not successful in rescuing the miners. The counsel, appearing for the state, told the court that they have taken adequate steps in the rescue operation and the Centre was also lending support to them. "We are not satisfied. It is a question of life and death," the bench said.
The Supreme Court had agreed to hear a plea seeking urgent steps to rescue the miners trapped inside an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya since December 13. The PIL filed by Aditya N Prasad also sought a direction to the Centre and other authorities concerned to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for rescue operations in mining. The bench asked Prasad to call a law officer of the Centre so that appropriate order could be passed immediately. The bench will continue with the hearing during the day.
The rat-hole mine, located on top of a hillock fully covered with trees in East Jaintia Hills district, had got flooded when water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into it, trapping the miners.
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