The body of one of the nine workers trapped inside a coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district was recovered by army divers on Wednesday on the third day of the rescue operations, officials said. The chances of the survival of the eight others appear grim, though a team of navy, army, NDRF and SDRF personnel intensified their efforts to rescue the trapped miners, they said.

The labourers were on Monday trapped inside the Assam Coal Quarry situated in the 3 Kilo area of Umrangso, after a sudden gush of water flooded the site. A diver claimed that the body was spotted about 85 feet below the surface, and that the visibility was poor inside with water all around.