25 People Killed In West Virginia Coal Mine Explosion

Another disaster has struck, this time in West Virginia:

A devastating explosion killed 25 West Virginia coal miners Monday, the worst such disaster in more than 20 years, officials said. Rescuers planned to delve back into the subterranean hell to search for the four remaining miners left unaccounted for, but appeared doubtful anyone would be found alive.

“All we have left is hope, and we’re going to continue to do what we can,” said Kevin Stricklin, an administrator for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.

He said if the surviving miners were able to reach one of the two airtight chambers loaded with food, water and oxygen, they could be safe there for up to four days. However, rescuers have already reached one of the chambers, and found it empty.

“But I’m just trying to be honest with everybody and say that the situation does look dire,” Stricklin said. A total of 29 miners were in the area during a shift change when the blast happened, officials said.

Seven of the men known to be dead were riding out of the shaft in a vehicle when the blast took their lives, safety officials said Monday night. Although the cause of the blast was not known, the operation has a history of violations for not properly ventilating highly combustible methane gas, safety officials said. The explosion comes just four years after a methane explosion at the Sago Mine in West Virginia killed 12 miners.

Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

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