Of the 65 rescued, 58 returned to mining within a year. They had no choice; it was the only work they knew. Several named their sons "Gill" in tribute. Two of the rescued miners, interviewed in 2019, still cried when recalling the sound of the drill breaking through the ceiling.
First responders tried conventional methods. High-capacity pumps were lowered into the shaft. They coughed and sputtered; the mud and coal slurry jammed the impellers immediately. Divers were called from the Navy, but the water was opaque black, filled with sharp debris, and the tunnels were too narrow for diving suits. Every plan collapsed. raniganj coal mine rescue full
When standard water-pumping methods proved too slow—estimated to take up to 90 days—engineer Jaswant Singh Gill proposed a daring borehole-rescue method. LARGEST COAL MINE RESCUE OPERATION Of the 65 rescued, 58 returned to mining within a year