A team of 15 Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) officials got trapped in the Kolihan mine of Rajasthan’s Neem Ka Thana district when a vertical shaft used to carry the personnel collapsed on Tuesday night.

Three people have been successfully rescued, with ongoing efforts to save the remaining 12 people.

Dr Mahendra Singh, a part of the medical team, said the three rescued were sent to a hospital. Efforts are on to bring the remaining 12 out.

"All have been rescued. Of them, three have been taken out of the mine and sent to hospital. They have fractures," he said.

The three rescued people have been identified as AK Sharma, Hans Ram, and Pritam Singh.

The remaining 12 have been identified as Upendra Pandey, Banendu Bhandari, Niranjan Sahoo, GD Gupta, Ramesh Narayan Singh, Vinod Singh Shekhawat, AK Baira, Arnav Bhabdari, Yashraj Meena, Vikas Pareek, Karan Gehlot, and Bhagirath.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said officials have been instructed to speed up the relief and rescue operations.

"Information was received about the accident caused by the breakage of the lift rope in the Kolihan mine of Hindustan Copper Limited in Khetri, Jhunjhunu. The concerned officials have been instructed to immediately reach the spot and speed up the relief and rescue operations and provide all possible help and health facilities to the affected," he said in a post on X.

“A vigilance team from Kolkata had gone inside the mines for an inspection. The accident took place when they were coming up around 8pm by a lift and one of its chains snapped, causing a major collapse. All 15 people got stuck at a depth of nearly 700m,” station house officer of local Khetri police station Bhanwar Lal said.

Police and an NDRF team rushed to the spot to carry out the rescue operation, which has been on for 12 hours now. “The three rescued officials have been sent to Jaipur for treatment,” the SHO said.

The rescue team has supplied emergency medicines and food to the victims. “No casualties have been reported so far. All the emergency preparations, including ambulances, have been stationed for additional support. The rescue team is trying to move the lift manually to rescue the trapped people,” Lal said.

HCL started the mines in 1972 in the Kolihan area, considered one of the deepest in the state. The inspection has been going on in the area since Monday.

A vigilance team, accompanied by senior officials and workers from the state-owned company, had entered the mine for an inspection. However, when they were about to come up, a rope of the shaft or 'cage' broke due to which the cage collapsed, police said. 

Image source: ANI