Asansol: Around 14 workers of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) were trapped in a pulley lift about 200 feet underground at the Kumardihi 'A' Colliery in Asansol, in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district, on Monday evening after the lift developed a technical glitch, according to reports by India Today / News89 and live coverage by NewsX. Trade unions said the workers were safe and that the rescue operation could take around three hours.

Source: News89 / India Today reporting

The lift, locally known as a 'doli', was being used to transport workers between the surface and the underground mine when its operating rope got entangled in the pulley drum inside the engine room, stopping the lift's movement, the reports said.

Source: News89 / India Today reporting

There were varying accounts of the exact number stranded. While initial information suggested 14 workers were trapped, an ECL official put the figure at around 10 to 12, while trade union representatives said 12 to 14 workers were inside the affected lift system. The exact number has not been officially confirmed.

Source: News89 / India Today reporting

Rescue and repair teams are attempting to free the entangled rope by rotating the drum in the opposite direction so the lift can be operated again and the workers brought to the surface. Trade union leader Mintu Banerjee said the operation could take another two to three hours, depending on how quickly the fault is fixed, and that drinking water, dry fruits and other food were being supplied to the stranded workers through the rope system.

Source: News89 / India Today reporting

An ECL official said there was no shortage of fresh air underground and that the workers were responding from below, indicating they were in contact with those at the site. Local MLA Jitendra Tiwari said the immediate priority was to bring all the workers out safely, and confirmed the stranded workers were responding and food had been sent to them.

Source: News89 / India Today reporting