Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that a person has been arrested after nine workers were trapped inside a coal mine in Dima Hasao district, which "appears to be illegal".

‘Rat-hole’ mining It is a method of extracting coal from horizontal seams in Meghalaya and other northeastern States. Narrow pits are dug into the ground, large enough for one person to fit in and extract the coal, just like rats dig a hole.

The workers went down the mine at around 9am on Monday; and officials are yet to ascertain the cause of the flooding despite the absence of any rain in the region.

In response to an urgent call for assistance by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Indian Army on January 6, mobilized a specialized Relief Task Force to rescue miners trapped in Umrangso,

Several workers are feared trapped inside a 'rat hole' coal mine after water entered into the 300-foot-deep quarry in the Dima Hasao district of Assam. The illegal mine is located in Umrangso, a remote industrial town near the Meghalaya border,

Officials said that since the location of the mine is in a remote area and not easily accessible, it is still not clear how many people are inside and what’s their condition