The water level stopped rising just three feet below the tunnel’s roof. For 65 men, the air was shrinking. They had no food, no light, and the water was freezing. Above ground, panic set in. Conventional pumps were too slow. It would take days to drain the water—days the men didn’t have.
Timeline (key events)
Suddenly, the roof of a section of the mine collapsed. The cave-in was massive, blocking the main escape route. To make matters worse, the collapse disrupted the ventilation system, raising the threat of toxic gas accumulation and suffocation. raniganj coal mine rescue full
For the first time in 15 hours, the trapped miners felt a cool breeze. They later recounted that the sound of the compressor was "like the voice of God." The water level stopped rising just three feet
