No sign of survivors in deadly US mine explosion
Source: Agencies |
April 8, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
RESCUERS yesterday drilled into an American coal mine where 25 people died in an explosion but got no response when they tried to communicate with possible survivors by banging on the drill pipe.
Crews need to bore at least one more hole to release poison gases before searchers could enter the Upper Big Branch mine to look for four people still missing in the worst US mining accident in more than two decades.
The mine's owner, Massey Energy Co, frequently sidesteps hefty fines by aggressively contesting safety violations, including recent problems with the ventilation system that clears away combustible methane gas.
Methane was blamed for the explosion that rocked the mine on Monday, and a dangerous buildup of that gas along with carbon monoxide prevented anyone from getting inside to pull out the bodies of 18 dead miners or to look for the four still unaccounted for.
Rescuers hoped they might somehow have reached a chamber where they could survive for four days.
Seven bodies were pulled out after the explosion, and two miners were hospitalized.
Governor Joe Manchin said the first hole reached the Upper Big Branch Mine after boring through about 330 meters of earth and rock.
Rescuers banged on the drill pipe for 15 minutes in the hope of being heard below ground, but got no response.
Miners are trained to bang back on the drill's casing, Manchin said. Sections of the mine roof contain numerous metal bolts that help keep it in place and that trapped miners can bang on them to signal their presence.
Officials said they might need to drill as many as four holes to vent the mine, but Chris Adkins, chief operating officer for Massey, said yesterday that two might be enough. Once rescuers can enter the mine it will take four or five hours to get far enough inside to check for survivors.
"We hope, we pray that the first two holes that go down will give us enough information to where we can pull the atmosphere back to where it is not explosive and get back in there," Adkins said.
(AP)
Crews need to bore at least one more hole to release poison gases before searchers could enter the Upper Big Branch mine to look for four people still missing in the worst US mining accident in more than two decades.
The mine's owner, Massey Energy Co, frequently sidesteps hefty fines by aggressively contesting safety violations, including recent problems with the ventilation system that clears away combustible methane gas.
Methane was blamed for the explosion that rocked the mine on Monday, and a dangerous buildup of that gas along with carbon monoxide prevented anyone from getting inside to pull out the bodies of 18 dead miners or to look for the four still unaccounted for.
Rescuers hoped they might somehow have reached a chamber where they could survive for four days.
Seven bodies were pulled out after the explosion, and two miners were hospitalized.
Governor Joe Manchin said the first hole reached the Upper Big Branch Mine after boring through about 330 meters of earth and rock.
Rescuers banged on the drill pipe for 15 minutes in the hope of being heard below ground, but got no response.
Miners are trained to bang back on the drill's casing, Manchin said. Sections of the mine roof contain numerous metal bolts that help keep it in place and that trapped miners can bang on them to signal their presence.
Officials said they might need to drill as many as four holes to vent the mine, but Chris Adkins, chief operating officer for Massey, said yesterday that two might be enough. Once rescuers can enter the mine it will take four or five hours to get far enough inside to check for survivors.
"We hope, we pray that the first two holes that go down will give us enough information to where we can pull the atmosphere back to where it is not explosive and get back in there," Adkins said.
(AP)
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
