A team of a city-based company that specialises in submersible robotic inspections on Sunday joined the operation to rescue 15 miners trapped for a month now inside a flooded rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya.
Image for representation (Source: Planys Technologies)
Chennai:
According to the website of the company, Planys Technologies, it is an IIT Madras incubated company that provides submersible robotic inspections and survey solutions using Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV).
One ROV and a six-member team of the firm have joined the operation, a company official said.
"The team joined on Sunday. They are working with the Navy," the official, who did not want to be named, told PTI.
According to a social media post by the co-founder of the firm, the team was airlifted by Indian Air Force from Chennai after the State government had asked them to assist in the rescue operations. The ROV will be put to test by evening today.
The miners have been trapped inside a 370-foot-deep illegal coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district since December 13, 2018 after water from a nearby river gushed in, puncturing the mine wall.
Yesterday morning, IAF airlifted Planys crew & ROV Mike to Meghalaya from Chennai. Planys was called upon to assist the rescue operations of trapped miners in East Jaintia Hills. Our crew will try to navigate ROV Mike through the rat holes in search of the trapped miners. pic.twitter.com/Z6NoIKvQdQ
— Tanuj Jhunjhunwala (@tanujjjw) January 13, 2019
Even as a multi-agency effort to rescue them is underway, the Supreme Court is hearing a PIL in the matter for urgent action.
The Centre on Friday told the apex court it has to "believe in miracles" and see if the miners come out alive.
The Indian Navy and planes and helicopters of the Indian Air Force have been deployed in the rescue operations.
(With inputs from PTI)