Twenty-five miners are confirmed dead, two injured, and four missing, after an explosion in a West Virginia coal mine Monday. The incident occurred in the Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal , West Virginia. It is the deadliest mining accident in the United States since 1984. Search and rescue operations were suspended Tuesday due to high levels of methane gas which made conditions unsafe for rescuers. A team attempting to ventilate the mine is expected to complete the work by Wednesday evening. Officials said that it was unlikely that the missing miners were still alive, although they would not stop efforts until they were found. The mine is owned by Massey Energy but operated by Performance Coal Company, a subsidiary of Massey, which is the fourth largest coal producer in the US. Federal officials have fined Massey nearly US $900,000 after numerous safety violations were found at the mine that suffered the explosion. To date, Massey has paid around $170,000.
Twenty-five miners are confirmed dead, two injured, and four missing, after an explosion in a West Virginia Monday. The incident occurred in the Upper Big Branch mine in , West Virginia. It is the deadliest mining accident in the United States since 1984. Search and rescue operations were suspended Tuesday due to high levels of gas which made conditions unsafe for rescuers. A team attempting to ventilate the mine is expected to complete the work by Wednesday evening. Officials said that it was unlikely that the missing miners were still alive, although they would not stop efforts until they were found. The mine is owned by but operated by Performance Coal Company, a subsidiary of Massey, which is the fourth largest coal producer in the US. Federal officials have fined Massey nearly US $900,000 after numerous safety violations were found at the mine that suffered the explosion. To date, Massey has paid around $170,000.
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coal mine
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Montcoal
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methane
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Massey Energy