An operation to rescue 15 miners trapped inside a flooded coal shaft in northeastern India has made little progress despite navy divers and heavy-duty pumps deployed in the effort.

The illegally excavated “rat-hole” in the East Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya state was inundated with floodwater from a nearby river on December 13, trapping the miners.

Indian National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) assistant commandant Santosh Singh said Sunday night that the divers were unable to reach the bottom of the mine shaft, but surveyed the area and will drop equipment to get an idea of the depth of the tunnel on Monday.

A team of the Odisha Fire Services, which reached the spot on Saturday, brought 10 powerful pumps, which are yet to be set up, the Indian Express reported.

Chances of the miners’ survival looked remote on Sunday as broadcaster NDTV reported authorities had found nothing but three helmets at the scene.

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“It’s been 17 days since the incident and the chances of finding survivors are bleak, but we are still holding onto hope,”state disaster minister Kyrmen Shylla said on Sunday.

Expert engineer JS Gill told NDTV there was no air pocket in the main mineshaft and it could take up to a week to complete the operation.

Local divers had recently reported a foul smell emanating from the nearly 100-metre deep mine but were unsure whether it was emanating from decomposed bodies.

It is not the first time workers engaged in illegal mining have been trapped in Meghalaya.

At least 15 miners were killed in the state’s South Garo Hills district in 2012.

The bodies were never recovered.

-with AAP