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Shillong, Feb 25: Indian Navy divers detected the fourth body of a miner, which is excessively decomposed, in a flooded coal mine at Khloo Ryngksan in East Jaiñtia Hills district, where 15 miners were trapped since December 13.

The detection of the fourth body came days after Naval divers located the third body, which is also highly decomposed with the help of an underwater remotely operated vehicle (UROV).

“The fourth body was detected at 230 feet in the same rat-hole coal mine at 4:32 p.m. with the help of the UROV,” a senior rescue official said.

The Navy divers also detected a wooden cart about 20 feet short of the body.

The ROV had detected the first body on January 16 and the second on January 26 from the rat-hole coal mine.

Of the 15 trapped miners, the Navy could recover only one body of the miner, Amir Hussain on January 23. The miner was from Assam’s Chirang district.

Meanwhile, teams from Coal India Limited, Kirloskar Brothers Limited and KSB continue to pump water out from the abandoned mine.