BBC News Online: World: South Asia

Hopes fade for trapped Indian miners

Indian navy divers have been trying since Friday to reach more than 30 miners trapped inside the mine.

On Tuesday, divers found no one in the only two known air pockets in the Bagdih mine, all but dashing hopes of a successful rescue.

Sixty-five miners were saved when water poured through a breached coal seam into the mine near Dhanbad, the main town in the mineral-rich state of Jharkhand.

Pumping

Officials from the government-run Bharat Coking Coal Limited say all efforts will now be directed towards pumping out the millions of litres of water.

The body of one worker was recovered overnight after it floated out during pumping operations.

Miners' relatives, who have maintained a vigil near the facility since the accident, have criticised authorities for what they see as the slow pace of the rescue mission.

There have been several serious mining accidents in the region, which has the largest coal deposits in India.

Nearly 400 miners were killed in a mine collapse in the 1975.