This is great news for the miners and their families.
TALLMANSVILLE, West Virginia (Reuters) - Twelve missing miners were found alive in a West Virginia coal mine nearly two days after they fled an explosion that sent lethal gases through the mine and killed one of their colleagues, family members said.
Rescue workers located the 12 men, who had been trapped underground since 6:30 a.m. (1130 GMT) on Monday and were bringing them out of the Sago mine in central West Virginia, family members said.
Anna McCloy, whose husband Randall McCloy was rescued said "This is wonderful, wonderful news, they are coming out."
Officials said the man who died appeared to have been let off the vehicle carrying his colleagues and was close to the explosion site, while the other 12, many of them veterans of the mine, had been deeper inside.
Church bells rang at the Sago Baptist Church where family members had waited fearfully for more than 36 hours and cheers broke out when the announcement was made. West Virginia officials had tried to maintain hope among the families, saying they should pray for a miracle.
Any hope of finding the men alive had been tempered with heavy caution because early tests found lethal levels of carbon monoxide in the tunnel where they were believed trapped. Each man carried about one hour's worth of clean air.
There had been no communication with the miners since the explosion, W. Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin told reporters.
There was no explanation for the explosion, which occurred
in a recently closed section of the mine that employs about 145 miners.
"We know that there had to be methane gas, or a buildup of fuel if you will, back there, and there had to be something that sparked it. And no one can speculate on ... what could have happened," Manchin said.
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BrianIs AtYou
Last edited by BrianIsSmilingAtYou on Wed Jan 04, 2006 2:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
All of my nieces and nephews at my godson/nephew Nicholas's Medical School graduation. Now a neurosurgical resident at University of Arizona, Tucson.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Thanks for posting that Brian! Was that the 11:00 news? When I watched at 5:00 they had not yet found them and hope was wearing thin.
I have a special detestation for mining accidents and the utter callousness of mining companies toward the health of their workers. It is the last dastardly resource industry of the 20th century given that what they are digging for - coal - could so easily be replaced.
I went to bed believing they were alive, and woke up to this.
Yes, I did did as well. I'm not quite sure how this happened. What an utter horror for the families of the victims!
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
I agree totally. I was utterly appauled by the 16 minute air tanks. They give the miners air tanks with 16 minutes of air in them, 16 minutes.
Having grown up in the oil field the employers are not much better in it either. We as a City have to regulate them within City limits becuase they won't on their own accord. They would have open well sights with open wells with no fencing and dangerous pits open, if we the City did not tell them to fence the things. And we had to start doing that becuase too many teenagers died, we couldn't do it before when only workers died.
I agree totally. I was utterly appauled by the 16 minute air tanks. They give the miners air tanks with 16 minutes of air in them, 16 minutes.
Having grown up in the oil field the employers are not much better in it either. We as a City have to regulate them within City limits becuase they won't on their own accord. They would have open well sights with open wells with no fencing and dangerous pits open, if we the City did not tell them to fence the things. And we had to start doing that becuase too many teenagers died, we couldn't do it before when only workers died.
AtYou
