The Alipurduar-based family members of Sanjit Sarkar, 40, stuck in a coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district, are spending sleepless nights.

Sanjit has been stuck in a 300-foot-deep pit in the mine, where around 100 feet is full of water, since Sunday with seven other miners.

Initially, there were nine persons, but the body of one of them, a Nepali national, was recovered on Wednesday from the pit.

Rescue teams are working round the clock to bring out the eight persons safely.

Sources said that on Sunday, a group of around 40 persons went to the colliery to illegally extract coal.

Suddenly, water flooded the pit of the open-hole mine and nine persons got stuck inside.

Among them, Sanjit, of Raichenga village under Falakata police station, is the sole earning member of the family.

“We are helpless and don’t know what is in store for us. We could not contact my son for over two days now. I am on my way to the spot,” said Krishnapada, his elderly father, while heading for Assam's Dima Hasao on Wednesday.

He said that Sanjit’s wife was traumatised and often lost her senses.

The couple have a four-year-old son.

The family’s worries, a neighbour said, mounted on Wednesday as the body of Nepal’s Ganga Bahadur Srestha, who was stuck with Sanjit and the others, was recovered from the pit.

“All of us are worried about Sanjit’s safety. We are praying for his safe return,” said Parimal Das, the neighbour.

Sources said pumps from agencies like the ONGC and Coal India Limited were brought to the spot on Wednesday.

“These would pump out water from the pit. Once the water is removed, we believe the rescue operation would be easier,” said an official of the Assam government.