Mission Raniganj May 2026

Finally, after 65 harrowing lifts—over 55 hours of non-stop work—only one man remained. Gill himself.

"This isn't a grave," Gill said, slamming his fist on the map. "The upper shaft is dry. There’s an air pocket. They are alive." Mission Raniganj

On the third lift, the cable frayed. On the eleventh lift, the winch motor overheated and smoked. On the thirty-third lift, a young miner panicked, thrashed inside the capsule, and nearly knocked it off its guide rail. Gill, from below, reached up and held the rail steady with his bare hands until the man calmed down. Finally, after 65 harrowing lifts—over 55 hours of

The mine owner’s team arrived quickly. Their verdict was brutal: "It’s a sump. A water grave. We seal the shaft and call it a tragedy." They had already ordered a hundred concrete slabs to entomb the men alive. "The upper shaft is dry