Updates on the rescue of all 15 officials who were caught in the lift collapse disaster at the Rajasthan HCL mine

According to authorities on Wednesday, all 15 personnel who were stranded after a lift collapse incident at HCL’s copper mine in Rajasthan’s Neem ka Thana state area have been freed. At the Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) Kolihan mine in the Khetri region of the district on Tuesday night, a lift collapsed, trapping at least 15 people, including top members of a Kolkata vigilance team.

Preliminary reports indicate that a broken rope caused a vertical shaft used for staff transportation within the copper mine to collapse 1,875 feet below the surface. The tragedy happened when top officials from the state-owned enterprise and the vigilance team entered the mine to conduct an inspection. A rope in the shaft, or “cage,” snapped just as the authorities were about to ascend, according to the police.

A Jaipur-based team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) hurried to the scene to begin rescue efforts after the disaster. At the Kolihan mine, a journalist who had entered the premises as a photographer with the vigilance team and senior KCC officials were also trapped at a depth of several hundred meters.

Every one of the fifteen officials that were trapped was freed.
All fifteen officials—AK Sharma, the Deputy General Manager of the Kolihan Mine, Pritam Singh, the Manager of the Kolihan Mine, Upendra Pandey, the Chief Vigilance Officer, and GD Gupta, the Head of the Khetri Copper Complex unit—were saved. After being rescued, they received first aid and were transported by ambulance to a hospital for further medical care, according to the police.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said that authorities have been directed to provide the afflicted individuals every assistance and medical services available. “Information was received about an accident caused by breakage of the lift rope in the Kolihan mine of Hindustan Copper Limited in Khetri, Jhunjhunu,” he said in a post on X. The involved authorities have been directed to arrive to the scene right away, expedite the relief and rescue efforts, and provide the affected individuals all available assistance and medical facilities. I ask God to grant all those hurt in this disaster a quick recovery and the safe release of those who are trapped in the mine.

ambulances and a medical team on site
Following the event, a group of medical professionals arrived at the scene and gave the authorities who were detained food and medication packages. At least nine ambulances were positioned close to the scene of the tragedy to provide the victims emergency medical attention.

After the disaster, Zulfikar, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, arrived at the scene and declared that everyone was safe. According to Neem ka Thana district Superintendent of Police Praveen Nayak, the rescue squad has located the stranded workers, some of them may be hurt. Dharmpal Gurjar, the MLA for Khetri, arrived to the scene as well and assessed the circumstances.