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West Virginia
Plauged with Mining Tragedies
By Sarah Reinartz
This month has been a devastating
month for the families of many West Virginia miners. Mining accidents
and fires have claimed the lives of thirteen men in this month
alone.
On Monday, January 2, thirteen men entered a coal mine for work
and only one man made it out barely alive. It was a stressful
and dismal day for family members of the local coal miners. The
men went to work on the second day of the New Year, just as any
other day. Early in the day there was an explosion in the Sago
mines, mistaken by many as thunder. A local man heard moaning
within the demolished mine as he was walking by and recognized
that there had been an explosion in the mine. The police were
informed but were unable to enter the mines at first due to intolerable
amounts of carbon monoxide inside the mine. Almost 12 hours after
the explosion, rescue teams were finally able to enter the crushed
caves.
Early Tuesday morning rescuers continued pushing into the mines.
During the day, one body was found and the chances of finding
anyone alive were becoming bleak when there were no visible signs
of life. Within hours, twelve more were found, almost two miles
from the opening of the mine. Only one of the men was found alive.
The above ground rescue command center received a report that
12 of 13 miners were found alive. The miscommunication causes
an uproar of excitement that eventually made its way to the family
members, giving them false hopes that their loved ones would make
it home. By 2:30a.m. Wednesday, the only survivor was identified
and the remaining eleven dead were confirmed. Family members who
were celebrating and waiting at the Sago Baptist church were informed
of the new information, that instead of there being 12 alive and
one dead, there was one survivor and 12 dead.
More recently, a fire blazed through another mine, killing two
more men. This was another loss to the West Virginia mining community.
Questions are still being raised as to how to make the mines safer
for the miners. Congressional hearing will take place in the near
future.
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