Workers trapped in ECL’s Bengal coal mine after lift failure; rescue operation underway

New Delhi: Several workers were trapped inside an underground coal mine operated by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district on Monday after a mechanical failure brought the mine’s lifting cage to a halt.

The incident occurred at the Kumardihi A underground mine when a rope reportedly slipped off the pulley drum, disrupting the system used to transport workers between the surface and underground workings.

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ECL Chairman and Managing Director Satish Jha confirmed the technical failure and said the workers were stranded at a depth of approximately 50 metres. The pulley system extends to around 90 metres.

According to Jha, there were no reported casualties at the time of his statement. Food and drinking water had been supplied to the stranded workers, while efforts were underway to restore the lifting mechanism and evacuate them safely.

Rescue teams work to restore lifting system

ECL officials said communication with the trapped workers was being maintained and adequate ventilation was available inside the mine.

Police personnel were deployed at the site, while senior district administration officials monitored the rescue operation.

State authorities said the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissioner, Paschim Bardhaman district magistrate, chief secretary and home secretary were coordinating with ECL.

Mine safety and maintenance under scrutiny

The incident raises important questions about the inspection, preventive maintenance and reliability of critical lifting equipment at underground coal mines.

A failure involving a lifting cage is particularly serious because workers depend on such systems for routine movement and emergency evacuation.

While the immediate priority remains the safe evacuation of the stranded workers, the incident warrants a technical investigation to establish why the rope slipped off the pulley drum, whether the equipment had undergone prescribed safety inspections and whether backup evacuation arrangements were available.

The circumstances also raise a broader question for ECL: could the malfunction have been detected and prevented through routine maintenance and safety checks?

Reports suggest up to 14 workers were trapped

In a subsequent report, India Today said estimates of the number of stranded workers ranged from 10 to 14, with no definitive official count available.

The report also cited workers alleging that the lifting equipment had been repaired a few months earlier and had experienced technical problems in the past. These allegations have not been independently established, but they strengthen the case for examining the mine’s maintenance records and earlier complaints.

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Latest status

Reports available early Tuesday continued to describe rescue operations as underway. A confirmed account of all workers being evacuated safely was not available in the sources checked.

For ECL, the immediate test is bringing every worker to safety. The next will be explaining whether this was an unforeseen mechanical failure or a preventable breakdown in mine safety oversight.

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