By IANS
Ranchi : Six people continued to be trapped in an abandoned coalmine in Jharkhand Wednesday while rescuers managed to pull out nine miners, police said.
The mishap took place Tuesday when the roof collapsed in the colliery belonging to the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) in Murlidih in Dhanbad district, about 230 km from here.
"Nine people have been rescued and six are believed to be still inside," said Sheetal Oraon, superintendent of police, Dhanbad.
He said rains were hampering the rescue operations.
According to people in the area, 18 people went inside the abandoned mine through a narrow entry. Three were outside and 15 inside when the roof collapsed.
According to BCCL sources, the mine had been closed about 20 years ago but had not been filled leading to local residents still extracting coal illegally.
Illegal mining is rampant in Jharkhand. In the last 10 years, more than 500 people have lost their lives in illegal mining. According to norms, companies should close abandoned mines by filling them with sand bags.