[BlackcatAlum]

MONTCOAL, W.Va. – Six miners were killed and at least 21 unaccounted for Monday in an explosion at an underground coal mine, the state mining director said.
Ron Wooten said the blast was reported around 3 p.m. at Massey Energy Co.'s Upper Big Branch mine in Raleigh County, about 30 miles south of Charleston. The company did not provide details on the extent of the damage or if other miners had been rescued. A Boone County ambulance dispatcher also said he has the same number of fatalities and missing miners.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100405/ap_o..._explosion

[Old School]

Prayers and thoughts to everyone involved.

Below is the report from WSAZ.
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/89943497.html

[Hoot Gibson]

Hopefully the missing miners are safe behind a barricade awaiting the mine rescue team's arrival.

[Old School]

Hopefully the missing miners are safe behind a barricade awaiting the mine rescue team's arrival.

I hope they have access to an emergency shelter, which would provide fresh air, water and food. Of couse this would depend on where the shelter is located, where the explosion occured and where the men were at the time of the explosion.

[phs1986]

Updated to 7 confirmed dead.... 28 unaccounted for....

Just reported from CNN..... Focus right now on getting to these men out and supplying these men with what they need to survive instead of criticizing. Top of the line and best of the best when it comes to the rescue team that will be attempting the rescue... My prayers are with all who are involved and the families of the lost.... Also, that the other men are recovered and safe!

[miragesmack]

Prayer sent. Hopefully the same thing happen here that happened in China. Those miners survived 8 days under and all survived.

[Cardinalfootballguy]

25 dead is now the confirmed number of deaths. I really hate to hear this coming from a family of miners and my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved.

[TidesHoss32]

Im at a loss for words...my heart and prayers go out to everyone affected..hopefully the four miners missing found their way to the chambers..but it isnt looking good, since they wont be finished with the first bore hole until tonight..this is awful. Just awful.

[Cardinalfootballguy]

I just found out that the mines my uncle works at sent him and a crew up there to help out

[TidesHoss32]

I just found out that the mines my uncle works at sent him and a crew up there to help out

If you hear any info before the news channels, keep us posted if you dont mind bro..

[Cardinalfootballguy]

If you hear any info before the news channels, keep us posted if you dont mind bro..

Will do Hoss

[Cardinalfootballguy]

The Rescue Efforts have been Suspended for the 4 missing miners

[Wildcatk23]

Why have they suspended the search?

[Cardinalfootballguy]

Rescuers were being held back by poison gases that accumulated
near the blast site, about 1.5 miles from the entrance to Massey
Energy Co.'s sprawling Upper Big Branch mine

[TidesHoss32]

Rescuers were being held back by poison gases that accumulated
near the blast site, about 1.5 miles from the entrance to Massey
Energy Co.'s sprawling Upper Big Branch mine

Well, its terrible news, but its about what I expected. It wouldnt take much at all to ignite another explosion, and we'd have Scotia all over again.

[Cardinalfootballguy]

They sent my uncles crew home this morning for 12 hours of rest and they are trying to drill some holes to let the gas out. They pretty much know where the other 4 guys are at right now.

[Cardinalfootballguy]

MONTCOAL, W.Va. (AP) - A Massey Energy executive says federal officials are testing air drawn from a hole drilled into a West Virginia mine where rescuers are trying to reach four missing miners.

[Wildcatk23]

MONTCOAL, W.Va. (AP) - A Massey Energy executive says federal officials are testing air drawn from a hole drilled into a West Virginia mine where rescuers are trying to reach four missing miners.

Do they know if they are alive or not?

[Cardinalfootballguy]

Do they know if they are alive or not?

They haven't said but with the gas levels this bad you would start to think its not looking good for them still being alive

[TheRealVille]

Looks like from the article, miners have a nasty habit of getting dead under Blankenship's watch. I remember several on here praising him for his efforts during the time of that rally last year. When it comes to him, I would consider myself more of a friend of miners than a friend of coal.

[Hoot Gibson]

Looks like from the article, miners have a nasty habit of getting dead under Blankenship's watch. I remember several on here praising him for his efforts during the time of that rally last year. When it comes to him, I would consider myself more of a friend of miners than a friend of coal.

The media demonizes every coal company following an accident involving fatalities - especially non-union companies. I don't want to start a debate on the unfairness of media coverage until after the remaining four men are either rescued or their bodies recovered but you should take any media reports with a big grain of salt.

For example, appealing the magnitude of fines have been a part of the process since at least the 1970s because there is a subjective component of computing the amount of the fines. However, inspectors may close any mine or section of a mine when they determine that there is an imminent danger present. The appeals of fines have nothing to do with mine safety.

Typically, mine operators promptly correct problems that they are cited for, and then they decide whether to appeal the amount of the fine. If I am not mistaken, quickly "abating" a violation cited by an inspector is also part of the formula used to calculate the level of a fine.

Massey is the largest coal company in the US and it spends millions of dollars on mine safety every year. Mining, especially in gassy mines under the water table is dangerous if an operator does everything right but all humans make mistakes. Mining is the only industry that I know of where mine operators are treated like criminals following a tragic accident and before an investigation has even begun.

[phs1986]

Great Post Hoot...

Now, the gas levels have been tested every 15 minutes... From the updates... the rescue teams will be attempting another mission sometime after 12 tonight.... They said it should take about an hour and a half to get to where the men should be....Let's all pray for a rescue NOT a recovery!

Methane builds up quickly depending upon the situtation. Please, let's just all keep these families in our thoughts and prayers and let the bickering and fussing take place for others. These people have lost a LOT and some still don't know.... Prayers are needed people.... OH.. BTW, there will be a vigil held tomorrow night @ 8:00 at the walking track in Phelps beside of the elementary school. If anyone is interested, please send me a PM and I'll get the details to you!

[Cardinalfootballguy]

They are starting to move back into the mines I think, Lets all hope and pray for the best this time. I hope the 4 miners have made it into one of the chambers and that there is still a chance. It's all in gods hands now and im sure he is watching over everyone there tonight. I still have family there on one of the rescue teams and just as soon I here something I'll let everyone here know.

[TheRealVille]

They weren't in the first safety chamber, on WSAZ some guy with the rescue said they are moving onto another chamber now. They also said something about smoke.

RALEIGH COUNTY, W.Va (WSAZ) - Rescue teams have been pulled out of the Upper Big Branch mine in Raleigh County because of dangerous conditions.

The team entered the mine early Friday morning searching for four coal miners missing since Monday's explosion that killed 25 miners and injured two others.

Kevin Stricklin with the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration says the team experienced smoke and that there could be a fire inside.

[OrangenowBlue]

The media demonizes every coal company following an accident involving fatalities - especially non-union companies. I don't want to start a debate on the unfairness of media coverage until after the remaining four men are either rescued or their bodies recovered but you should take any media reports with a big grain of salt.

For example, appealing the magnitude of fines have been a part of the process since at least the 1970s because there is a subjective component of computing the amount of the fines. However, inspectors may close any mine or section of a mine when they determine that there is an imminent danger present. The appeals of fines have nothing to do with mine safety.

Typically, mine operators promptly correct problems that they are cited for, and then they decide whether to appeal the amount of the fine. If I am not mistaken, quickly "abating" a violation cited by an inspector is also part of the formula used to calculate the level of a fine.

Massey is the largest coal company in the US and it spends millions of dollars on mine safety every year. Mining, especially in gassy mines under the water table is dangerous if an operator does everything right but all humans make mistakes. Mining is the only industry that I know of where mine operators are treated like criminals following a tragic accident and before an investigation has even begun.

I agree to a point but don't you think Blankenships attitude and diarrhea of the mouth brings a lot of the bad publicity. We have turned into a society of taking sides no matter what the issue instead of weighing the facts. A lot of the negative news I have heard about Massey is from Fox(the gospel of tv news according to conservatives). You are exactly right about the media coverages but there is a lot of instances of less then ethical behavior by "Dandy Don" over the past several years. I support coal and coal miners but I do not support crooked and loud mouth coal operators who think they are untouchable and are allowed to do anything they want without repercussions. There are some coal operators who "class acts" as individuals. I do not believe he is one of them.

[Hoot Gibson]

I agree to a point but don't you think Blankenships attitude and diarrhea of the mouth brings a lot of the bad publicity. We have turned into a society of taking sides no matter what the issue instead of weighing the facts. A lot of the negative news I have heard about Massey is from Fox(the gospel of tv news according to conservatives). You are exactly right about the media coverages but there is a lot of instances of less then ethical behavior by "Dandy Don" over the past several years. I support coal and coal miners but I do not support crooked and loud mouth coal operators who think they are untouchable and are allowed to do anything they want without repercussions. There are some coal operators who "class acts" as individuals. I do not believe he is one of them.

I have been too busy working and looking for my next job in this horrible economy to follow the story closely but I cannot remember a mining disaster in the past 30 years where media coverage was fair. As for Massey, I do not know Blankenship so I will not comment on how he has handled the media. I do know that corporate officers are generally muzzled by their lawyers (for good reason), which leaves the anti-mining zealots free rein to attack company managers like Blankenship.

Add to Massey's mounting problems the fact that we have an extreme pro-union US president in charge of the Labor Department, MSHA, OSM, and the EPA, and I am afraid that we are witnessing the beginning of the end for Massey. The company will be lucky to survive the next three years.

People need to understand that these mine rescue teams are risking their lives every time that they step foot underground. There is no way to ensure that methane levels are safe over a large area, and smoke indicates that there is an ignition source present.

I competed on a mine rescue and first aid team back in the early 80s, not long after the Scotia disaster. While our team was on standby to reopen a recently unsealed mine that had been on fire in Virginia, a methane explosion occurred and blew up some equipment that we had loaned a Virginia team. Fortunately, nobody was in the mine at the time of the explosion.

Much as I hate to say it, the mine should probably be sealed before another explosion takes place. It is not safe to send live people underground while carbon monoxide and methane are both present in the mine atmosphere.

(The mine in Virginia that I mentioned above was unsealed while CO2 was still detectable. When the oxygen level rose and the methane level dropped into the explosive range, the mine blew.)

[thecavemaster]

There is no way to make coal mining "safe" the way the Average Joe on the street counts safe. However, there is no way that Hoot can even believe that what "the Invisible Hand" often means is this: bottom lines get measured against safety improvements get measured against public perception... and, many times, silver and gold get counted more dear than flesh and blood. By the way, Adam Smith himself believed the "corporation" to be a great minefield for potential corruption and greed. Read The Wealth of Nations for yourself.

[Hoot Gibson]

There is no way to make coal mining "safe" the way the Average Joe on the street counts safe. However, there is no way that Hoot can even believe that what "the Invisible Hand" often means is this: bottom lines get measured against safety improvements get measured against public perception... and, many times, silver and gold get counted more dear than flesh and blood. By the way, Adam Smith himself believed the "corporation" to be a great minefield for potential corruption and greed. Read The Wealth of Nations for yourself.

This seems to be yet another subject that you know nothing about but, as usual you do not let that stop you from expressing a strong anti-capitalist opinion. Mining accidents are expensive to coal companies and impact the bottom line in many ways.

Accidents with fatalities are extremely expensive and can easily put a coal company out of business. There will always some fly by night operators in any industry but Massey did not become the nation's largest coal producer by ignoring safety regulations.

Massey is extremely selective in its hiring practices, pays its employees well, and demands excellent performance in return. I never had any desire to work for Massey because of the extremely long hours it often requires its supervisors to work - and I had no problem working 50 to 60 hour weeks at the time. However, Massey has always been one of the best managed companies in the business. It is a shame that a socialist will ultimately decide the company's fate and the fate of the entire coal industry as well..

[thecavemaster]

This seems to be yet another subject that you know nothing about but, as usual you do not let that stop you from expressing a strong anti-capitalist opinion. Mining accidents are expensive to coal companies and impact the bottom line in many ways.

Accidents with fatalities are extremely expensive and can easily put a coal company out of business. There will always some fly by night operators in any industry but Massey did not become the nation's largest coal producer by ignoring safety regulations.

Massey is extremely selective in its hiring practices, pays its employees well, and demands excellent performance in return. I never had any desire to work for Massey because of the extremely long hours it often requires its supervisors to work - and I had no problem working 50 to 60 hour weeks at the time. However, Massey has always been one of the best managed companies in the business. It is a shame that a socialist will ultimately decide the company's fate and the fate of the entire coal industry as well..

I don't share your rather rosy glow notion of human nature, Hoot. Your anger at individuals who misuse the welfare system is always evident in thread upon thread. However, the same "within the human heart" risings that produce exploitation of that system, produce "silver and gold matter more than flesh and blood" decisions within the corporate system. I make no accusation against Massey in this accident: that is for investigators to determine. What I do fault, frankly, is your magical belief in any system full of human beings without some sort of regulatory authority.

[Hoot Gibson]

I don't share your rather rosy glow notion of human nature, Hoot. Your anger at individuals who misuse the welfare system is always evident in thread upon thread. However, the same "within the human heart" risings that produce exploitation of that system, produce "silver and gold matter more than flesh and blood" decisions within the corporate system. I make no accusation against Massey in this accident: that is for investigators to determine. What I do fault, frankly, is your magical belief in any system full of human beings without some sort of regulatory authority.

And what I fault is your knee jerk reaction to attack capitalism at every opportunity, all the while denying that you are a socialist at heart. You are obviously clueless about what makes this a great country. Obama is the perfect president for people like you. He will give you an expensive lesson on what real socialism does to the spirit and well being of a nation. Most Americans are smart enough to have already learned that lesson but you are about to learn the hard way.