An official reported on Wednesday that seven additional individuals who were trapped at the Kolihan mine due to a lift collapse have been rescued in Neem Ka Thana district. Earlier, three people were rescued, bringing the total to 10, with efforts ongoing to rescue the rest.
Praveen Nayak, Neem Ka Thana’s Superintendent of Police (SP), confirmed the progress, stating that three were rescued initially, followed by five more and then two, making a total of 10. Three of the rescued individuals were referred to Jaipur due to serious conditions, according to Dr. Pravin Sharma from Jhunjhunu Government Hospital, who also mentioned various injuries among the rescued.
The incident occurred at Hindustan Copper Limited’s (HCL’s) Kolihan copper mine when a lift carrying a vigilance team and mine officials collapsed over 1,800 feet inside the mine, reportedly due to a rope failure. Notable individuals among the trapped were Chief Vigilance Officer Upendra Pandey, Khetri Copper Complex (KCC) unit head GD Gupta, and journalist Vikas Pareek, who was with the vigilance team.
Ambulances and medical teams responded swiftly to the scene after the collapse, underlining the urgent nature of the situation.