Telangana: Singareni Collieries starts internal probe into deaths of 2 rescue personnel

Ch Satish EP Operator at Singareni who died in flood rescue operation (Supplied)

Ch Satish (36) and Ambala Ramu (29), along with four other rescue-trained personnel from Singareni, had gone to the flood-hit Babri village near Ainam to rescue a pregnant woman and shift her to a hospital.

While the team was able to save the woman’s life, it lost Ramu and Satish, who were washed away in the swirling floodwaters. Their bodies were found recovered near Ainam.

Ambala Ramu, general mazdur of Singareni who died during a recent flood rescue operation (Supplied)

Both Ramu and Satish joined Singareni Collieries through compassionate appointments after the deaths of their fathers on duty.

While Ramu worked as a general worker in the Ravindrakhani-5 coal mine, Satish worked as an EP Operator at the Srirampur opencast mine.

Allegations against Singareni

Speaking to South First, Bhagyaraj, a member of the Centre of Indian Trade Union  (CITU), said, “The victims were not swimmers and neither were they trained for flood rescue. They were not given any safety gear. This has happened clearly because of the company’s negligence.”

A circular issued by the Singareni Collieries Company Limited in 2016 regarding extending rescue services outside emergencies mentions not to insist the personnel to deal with outside water emergencies (Supplied)

He added: “The management sends the rescue operatives for rescue works outside just to please the police department or political leaders, even though it is forbidden by the company rules.”

He also said that a circular issued by the company management in 2016 clearly states: “Rescue teams of SCCL are not adequately equipped or trained to conduct water-related rescue/recovery operations.”

Bhagyaraj also alleged that the Singareni Collieries management’s indifferent attitude was the reason behind the deaths of many in the company.

“This is not the first time that company workers were sent for outside rescue operations and they died,” he alleged.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was not contacted to shift the pregnant woman, and instead, the Singareni workers were forced to conduct the mission, Bhagyaraj told South First.

He added, “The management here only focuses on production, and does not care for workers’ safety.”

₹2 crore ex gratia granted

Members of various trade unions, including the Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS), have extended their support to the families of the deceased and demanded ex gratia for them.

While the government has agreed to a solatium of ₹2 crore for each of the deceased, their relatives are yet to receive the amount.

The surviving members of the rescue team told South First that they were too traumatised to talk about the incident.