By Tora Agarwala GUWAHATI (Reuters) -Three miners were feared dead inside a flooded coal mine in a remote district of India's northeastern Assam state, authorities said on Tuesday, and the men were part of a total of nine still trapped as rescue teams worked to reach them.

Three workers have been confirmed dead in the Assam coal mine disaster, while rescue operations continue to free the others trapped, with teams from the Army, NDRF, SDRF, and Navy divers actively involved.

‘Rat-hole’ mining It is a method of extracting coal from horizontal seams in Meghalaya and other northeastern States. Narrow pits are dug into the ground, large enough for one person to fit in and extract the coal, just like rats dig a hole.

At least nine workers are trapped inside a flooded coal mine in India’s northeastern Assam state, officials said Tuesday, as authorities summoned the army to help in the rescue operation. The miners became trapped on Monday morning in the Umrangso area in Dimapur Hasao district,

Nine laborers are trapped in a coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district. Army personnel, NDRF, and SDRF are coordinating rescue efforts. Water pumps are being used to clear flooding. The exact number of trapped miners remains unconfirmed.

The workers went down the mine at around 9am on Monday; and officials are yet to ascertain the cause of the flooding despite the absence of any rain in the region.

In response to an urgent call for assistance by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Indian Army on January 6, mobilized a specialized Relief Task Force to rescue miners trapped in Umrangso,