East Jaintia Hills Police on Monday stated that search and rescue operations are continuing in connection with the illegal coal mining blast that occurred on February 5, even as the matter is presently under consideration of the High Court.
Speaking to mediapersons, Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said the High Court has taken cognisance of the incident and summoned the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of East Jaintia Hills for personal appearance.
The SP said that the police are proceeding in accordance with the law and assured that the investigation is moving forward steadily.
“The investigation is ongoing. Arrests have been made and the case is progressing in the right direction. We are confident of bringing it to a logical conclusion,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the rescue operations, the SP clarified that search and rescue operation is still underway. “It was carried out yesterday as well, though no bodies were recovered. The operation continues today,” he said.
He further noted that the duration of the rescue mission would depend on inputs from agencies involved, including the NDRF, SDRF, and other specialised rescue teams, taking into account the challenging terrain and prevailing ground conditions.