Gases stop mine rescue efforts
Source: Agencies |
April 9, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
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DANGEROUS gases forced rescue crews to abandon the search yesterday for four coal miners missing since an explosion killed 25 colleagues in the worst American mining disaster in more than two decades.
Rescue crews had been working their way through the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia by rail car and on foot yesterday, but officials said they had to turn back because of an explosive mix of gases in the area they needed to search.
"We think they are in danger and that's the whole intent of evacuating them from the mine," said Kevin Stricklin of the Mine Health and Safety Administration.
The rescuers made it to within about 300 meters of an airtight chamber containing four days' worth of food, water and oxygen where they hoped the miners might have sought refuge. They did not make it far enough to see the bodies of the dead or determine if anyone had made it to the chamber.
Stricklin acknowledged the evacuation was a setback, but said he hoped crews would be able to get back after a bigger hole was drilled to allow fresh air into the mine. He said the families of the dead and missing understood the need to pull out rescuers. "It's a roller coaster for these people," Stricklin said.
Rescuers had already had to wait to enter the mine until crews drilled holes deep into the earth to ventilate lethal carbon monoxide and highly explosive hydrogen as well as methane gas, which has been blamed for the explosion.
The air quality was deemed safe enough early in the day for four teams of eight members each to go on what officials were still calling a rescue mission, but later tests showed the air was too dangerous to continue.
Once inside, rescuers had to walk through an area officials have described as strewn with bodies, twisted railroad track, shattered concrete block walls and vast amounts of dust.
Officials and townsfolk alike acknowledged they didn't expect to find any of the four missing miners alive more than two days after the massive explosion.
Seven bodies were brought out on Monday and authorities hoped to recover 18 others known dead from the mine owned by Massey Energy Co, which has been cited for numerous safety violations.
(AP)
Rescue crews had been working their way through the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia by rail car and on foot yesterday, but officials said they had to turn back because of an explosive mix of gases in the area they needed to search.
"We think they are in danger and that's the whole intent of evacuating them from the mine," said Kevin Stricklin of the Mine Health and Safety Administration.
The rescuers made it to within about 300 meters of an airtight chamber containing four days' worth of food, water and oxygen where they hoped the miners might have sought refuge. They did not make it far enough to see the bodies of the dead or determine if anyone had made it to the chamber.
Stricklin acknowledged the evacuation was a setback, but said he hoped crews would be able to get back after a bigger hole was drilled to allow fresh air into the mine. He said the families of the dead and missing understood the need to pull out rescuers. "It's a roller coaster for these people," Stricklin said.
Rescuers had already had to wait to enter the mine until crews drilled holes deep into the earth to ventilate lethal carbon monoxide and highly explosive hydrogen as well as methane gas, which has been blamed for the explosion.
The air quality was deemed safe enough early in the day for four teams of eight members each to go on what officials were still calling a rescue mission, but later tests showed the air was too dangerous to continue.
Once inside, rescuers had to walk through an area officials have described as strewn with bodies, twisted railroad track, shattered concrete block walls and vast amounts of dust.
Officials and townsfolk alike acknowledged they didn't expect to find any of the four missing miners alive more than two days after the massive explosion.
Seven bodies were brought out on Monday and authorities hoped to recover 18 others known dead from the mine owned by Massey Energy Co, which has been cited for numerous safety violations.
(AP)
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