The man, who was arrested in connection with the mine mishap in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district a fortnight ago, has admitted that he was the owner of the 370-foot-deep illegal quarry, the police said on Sunday.
Fifteen miners were trapped in the “rat-hole” mine on December 13 after water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into it. All efforts to trace the labourers have turned futile as the water level in the mine showed no signs of receding in the past 11 days.
Two absconding
Krip Chullet, who was arrested on December 14, admitted during interrogation that the mine in Lumthari village of Khliehriat area - around 80 km from Shillong - belonged to him, Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtynger said. Two mine managers, Mohesh and James Sukhlain, are still on the run, he said.
Seven of the 15 trapped labourers hail from West Garo Hills district, five from Assam and three from the remote Lumthari village, where the accident took place, the SP said.