Congress' Gaurav Gogoi writes to PM, seeks SIT probe into Assam mining tragedy

• GUWAHATI — Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday said he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a SIT probe into the mining tragedy in Assam, which left several labourers in a coal quarry dead.
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• He also alleged that "illegal mining continues unchecked" due to "weak law enforcement and local complicity" in the northeastern state.
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• Nine workers were trapped inside a coal mine in Umrangsu in Dima Hasao district on Monday after a sudden gush of water flooded the quarry. Of them, the bodies of four labourers have so far been recovered.
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Also read: Assam mining tragedy: Bodies of 3 more labourers trapped in coal quarry recovered

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• "As of today, rescue operations have entered their sixth day, but the fate of coal miners trapped in the illegal coal mine at Dima Hasao remains uncertain. Illegal mining continues unchecked in Assam, fuelled by weak law enforcement and local complicity," said the Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.
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• "I have written to the prime minister urging an urgent SIT probe to investigate this tragedy," he said.
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• Gogoi urged the prime minister that the proposed secial investigation team (SIT) should not only look into the "illegal" operation of the mine and identify those responsible for this tragedy but also address the broader issues at play.
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• ''This includes the failure to enforce the NGT's (National Green Tribunal) ban on rat-hole mining, the complicity of local authorities-including the district administration and district police - who have enabled these illegal activities to persist, despite repeated accidents and warnings," the Congress leader alleged.
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• The SIT should also examine safety standards and working conditions in these mines, which are "consistently ignored", leading to deadly incidents, he claimed.