Thursday, September 7 2006 18:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dhanbad: Authorities today (Sept 7, 2006) said the chances of survival of 50 miners trapped in a coal mine here after an explosion was 'bleak' even as an operation was launched to drill holes to provide fresh air to the men.

Bharat Coking Coal (BCCL) Chairman and Managing Director Partha S Bhattacharya, asked about the chances of survival of the miners, told sources that the possibility is bleak.

Twenty rescue teams from BCCL and other Coal India subsidiaries, Eastern Coalfields and Central Coalfields, were engaged in the rescue operation and were drilling holes to let in fresh air into the mine, he said.

BCCL sources said it would be difficult for the miners to have survived the carbon monoxide gas after the explosion.

Shabir Ahmed, an officer of the BCCL's rescue team, said according to the register, four of the 57 miners supposed to report for duty last night did not turn up, while three managed to come out after the explosion.

The rescue teams will take turns to search the exact location where the miners were trapped, he said.

BCCL sources said the blast occured at the 17th level of the mine under Nagda colliery of Bharat Coking Coal.

Asked what triggered the explosion, the sources said there was a high presence of gas in the mine and the exact cause would be known only after an investigation.

Union Coal Minister Shibu Soren and Coal Secretary H C Gupta were on their way to the accident site, Coal India officials in Kolkata said.

CIL Chairman Sashi Kumar was at the site and Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda also visited the spot.