Singareni Collieries Clinch Top Prize at International Mines Rescue Championship in Zambia

Hyderabad: In a significant achievement for India's mining sector, the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) rescue team has claimed the top award in the underground category at an international mines rescue championship conducted in Zambia.

The competition, which ran from April 30 through May 5, 2026, brought together rescue units from India, China, Colombia, Zambia, Canada, Australia, and Poland. Indian participation included teams representing Coal India Limited and SCCL, alongside other domestic mining organisations.

The championship tested rescue teams across multiple disciplines including firefighting, emergency rescue operations, and technical assistance capabilities. The Singareni contingent demonstrated exceptional proficiency across all evaluated areas, ultimately securing first position.

One of the competition's key events involved a 90-minute technical examination conducted at the Mopani Central Training Centre in Mufulira. SCCL representative CH. Sai Krishna completed his assigned task in 52 minutes, successfully servicing and replenishing a carbon dioxide absorbent canister.

In a separate rescue simulation at the west portal mine, participating teams faced the challenge of extracting two individuals trapped at a depth of 700 metres. While organisers allotted two hours for the operation, the Singareni team executed the entire rescue in just 52 minutes.

During the exercise, team members installed an L-bend component in a pump system, deactivated a substation, and utilised mine documentation to pinpoint the trapped workers' location. They revived one unconscious individual found near an LHD machine and safely brought the second injured person to ground level. Two judges overseeing the operation commended the team's coordination, quick thinking, and professional discipline throughout the rescue.

SCCL Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Buddhaprakash Jyothi praised the rescue team's accomplishment, characterising the international victory as a matter of institutional pride.