GUILTY WV - 29 miners killed in coal dust explosion at Upper Big Branch, 5 April 2010

[fran]

So devastating.

Condolences to the families.

Sincerely,
fran
:rose:

 

[Elphaba]

So very sad... heartbreaking.

 

[chesterp]

My prayers go out to all these victims and their families. I just turned on the news and when the Gov. said a woman lost her son and 2 grandsons they were all huddled together it made me want to cry.

Please give these people the strength to deal with this tragedy.

 

[BOZGAL]

I fell asleep listening to the news and woke up to more heartbreaking news. :cry:

My sympathies and prayers to the devastated families and the entire community which is so close knit. I pray for God to comfort them through this most difficult time in their lives. raying:

 

[tk71texas]

so many families forever changed....this is so sad but just like the military, dangers come with certain jobs. This just happens to be one of them. My prayers go out to anyone who if affected by this.

 

[Sharedspirit]

Right now, it looks like the incoming storms yesterday changed the pressure significantly which caused the buildup of methane. You can't see or smell it. I wonder if methane levels can increase so fast that there isn't time to escape even with warning?

Yes, mining is terribly dangerous work and it must take a brave person to do that job! So are many other jobs, like farming. I read that in 2002, 780 farmers died and over 150,000 were disabled. But if you look at the numbers per capita, mining is still more dangerous.

My heart goes out to all the families affected by this disaster and I'm praying that the 4 still inside got to the chamber and can still be rescued! It is a very sad day here in WV.

 

[BOZGAL]

Right now, it looks like the incoming storms yesterday changed the pressure significantly which caused the buildup of methane. You can't see or smell it. I wonder if methane levels can increase so fast that there isn't time to escape even with warning?

Yes, mining is terribly dangerous work and it must take a brave person to do that job! So are many other jobs, like farming. I read that in 2002, 780 farmers died and over 150,000 were disabled. But if you look at the numbers per capita, mining is still more dangerous.

My heart goes out to all the families affected by this disaster and I'm praying that the 4 still inside got to the chamber and can still be rescued! It is a very sad day here in WV.

You are absolutely correct about farming. My great Uncle died at an early age while working on the farm.

I am sure my sadness cannot compare with everyone's in WV. But please know there are so many of us that truly care and feel the pain too.

God Bless.

 

[legalmania]

25 dead and 4 still missing. What a terrible way to die. I hope the last four have found a safe haven, if there is one. I heard the men in one family were killed. The company has a bad record, and has settled lawsuits out of court and also received several fines. When you have families counting on you for safety how dare you think of money first.

 

[Indianagirl]

29 dead and 4 still missing. What a terrible way to die. I hope the last four have found a safe haven, if there is one. I heard the men in one family were killed. The company has a bad record, and has settled lawsuits out of court and also received several fines. When you have families counting on you for safety how dare you think of money first.

If the 4 missing are found dead, then it would bring the total deceased to 29. Only 25 deaths are confirmed at this point.

Just wanted to clarify so there is no confusion.

 

[Sharedspirit]

If you read the comments on the WV news sites, you will see why this is so hard for west virginians...and other states that have a lot of mining. Almost everyone one has either lost a family member in a mining accident, or knows someone who has. It brings up a lot of old pain that comes back everytime we lose another miner. Inclucing our Governor who lost an uncle in the farmington mine.

 

[Sharedspirit]

25 dead and 4 still missing. What a terrible way to die. I hope the last four have found a safe haven, if there is one. I heard the men in one family were killed. The company has a bad record, and has settled lawsuits out of court and also received several fines. When you have families counting on you for safety how dare you think of money first.

From what I've been told by someone who is a mine rescuer, death is very quick and painless in a disaster like this. The methane puts you to sleep very quickly before the mine explodes. I hope he's correct.

 

[Peliman]

Something troubling me the last day or two is why aren't the coal mines with high concentrations of methane or bad air not ventilated in the first place.

Why wait for a disaster to occur? IMO - this mine should have been ventilated long ago for methane concentrations. If it only takes 12-16 hours to drill a hole into deep chambers because they need to ventilate, why wasn't it done before the mine was ever allowed to operate. Why wait for a disaster to occur, I'm thinking this accident was preventable. IMO

Pel

 

[legalmania]

From what I've been told by someone who is a mine rescuer, death is very quick and painless in a disaster like this. The methane puts you to sleep very quickly before the mine explodes. I hope he's correct.

I'm worried about the four, did they make it to the safe place if they did, I heard they only have 4 days worth of oxygen. A slow and stressful death. They do have food and water in there. I don't understand why they don't have some kind of communication down there? They say there going to send down a camera, to see if they can find them. I feel so sorry for their families.

 

[fhc]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304198004575171500415061106.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_3

MONTCOAL, W.Va.—Massey Energy Co. officials said it would be several hours before rescue teams could re-enter the Upper Big Branch mine, where four miners remain missing and 25 were killed in a massive explosion earlier this week.

The company and federal and state mine safety officials plan to complete drilling of a second bore hole into the mine to continue lowering the concentration of explosive gases that forced rescue teams out of the mine Thursday morning.

Officials said rescue teams had traveled more than four miles and gotten to within 500 feet of one of two refuge chambers that remain to be checked, but weren't able to see whether the inflatable chamber had been deployed.

Searching for Missing Miners
View Slideshow

Mike Munden/Reuters

Miner Brian Lemon waited around near the Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, W. Va., Thursday. A small crowd of miners showed uo to show support for their fallen colleagues.

"They were not able to get a visual," said Chris Adkins, chief operating officer of Massey. "This is still a rescue mission. There are still chambers" to be examined.

 

[fran]

Family Men, Outdoorsmen Among Mine Victims


CHARLESTON, W.Va. (April 8) -- As some families prayed that their loved ones might still be alive in West Virginia's Upper Big Branch mine, others grappled with the certainty that they had lost a father, brother or cousin.

Many had lost more than one family member.

When an explosion shook the mine in Montcoal on Monday, it killed three members of the Davis family -- Timmy Davis Sr. and his two nephews, Josh Napper and Cory Davis. They were among 25 killed. Four others are still unaccounted for inside the mine.

Not all of the dead have been identified. These are the stories of those who have been named so far, either by mine owner Massey Energy Co., the medical examiner or family members.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<,full article at link>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/artic...y-men-outdoorsmen-among-mine-victims/19432181


..............................seriously, when you go to the link, keep multiple hankies handy.

 

[Thinaire]

Something troubling me the last day or two is why aren't the coal mines with high concentrations of methane or bad air not ventilated in the first place.

Why wait for a disaster to occur? IMO - this mine should have been ventilated long ago for methane concentrations. If it only takes 12-16 hours to drill a hole into deep chambers because they need to ventilate, why wasn't it done before the mine was ever allowed to operate. Why wait for a disaster to occur, I'm thinking this accident was preventable. IMO

Pel

Mines are all operated with venitlation that is advanced with the coal removal. Regular tests are made, "sniffers" are on mining equipment that detect methane gas. o Equipment operators, miners, foremen all carry detection moniters and are required to make regular checks.

What they are doing now is drilling straight down into the recovery area to ventilate & release trapped gasses. That would not work in advance mining or longwall mining, it's for recovery.

In mine development you have fresh air intakes and the "return" that vents used or bad air out of the mine, aided by powerful fans. Drilling an air shaft above active works would short circuit that intake air.

I might not have explaned it well Peli...but the bore hole they are drilling would not be used to ventilate.

 

[Thinaire]

From what I've been told by someone who is a mine rescuer, death is very quick and painless in a disaster like this. The methane puts you to sleep very quickly before the mine explodes. I hope he's correct.

Methane does not cause one to lose conciousness, but "black damp", lack of air does. Methane is highly explosive, colorless, odorless gas present in most underground mines.

Black damp is, well, we had a safety director explain a real situation in which black damp can be explained.

You walk into an area in the mine, see someone lying on the ground against a ventilation stopping (wall) and rush into help them without using your monitering equipment or mine lamp to check the air...you rush in and also pass out....black damp.

If you used your lamp, you would have advanced slowly with it out in front of you...watching the enclosed flame...if the flame flickered or ebbed, you have danger & should not proceed til the are under question is ventilated or mine rescue personnel under self contained apparatus can rescue/recover the worker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackdamp

 

[Thinaire]

I'm worried about the four, did they make it to the safe place if they did, I heard they only have 4 days worth of oxygen. A slow and stressful death. They do have food and water in there. I don't understand why they don't have some kind of communication down there? They say there going to send down a camera, to see if they can find them. I feel so sorry for their families.

After the PA miracle I will never make a flat out statement again about recovery. The recent recovery of over 100 miners in China (horrid safety regs there) was a miracle. But that was flooding in both cases.

An underground explosion, harder to hold out hope..., the possible location of the 4 makes it possible a miracle may happen if they were far away enough, and the self rescuers that were reported taken were taken by the 4. All miners are taught to learn to barricade, ration food and limit movement to stretch resources. The miners would have their personal self rescuers and the stored ones reported taken.

What holds up racing in to get to them...is the explosion can cause roof falls, roof supports (timbers) to be damaged or knocked out, ventilation walls to be blown out...all those have to be replaced or rebuilt to make the mine safe enough for recovery.

The Utah Mining disaster was a lesson in recovery. Several were killed and hurt in the recovery process beause the conditions were impossible to overcome.

The Mine Resue Teams (amazing people that train constantly) an work under self sustaining suits but the mine has to be safe enough to travel at all...without ventilation being re-established, more methane can build up and one spark is all thats needed. A mine thats sustained an explosion is also a mine that no doubt has some roof support problems to overcome.

Communication is usually knocked out that far underground...always been a problem underground. In fact, reporters and others are having to move to areas where reception is possible, and thats OUTSIDE, not a mile or more in a mountain.

It's hard to get a grasp on what it takes, what obstacles miners have to overcome to get coal out of a mine...when comparing to technology "above."

Hope I did'nt muddy the waters more with my windy attempts at explanations!

 

[Elphaba]

The rescue resumed early this morning... not sure what time they went in, but I read in passing that it will take about 90 minutes to get to the first chamber. Hoping beyond hope that the rescuers can find the missing miners...

 

[Elphaba]

This article said that they went back in at 12:30 a.m... so they have been in there going on 5 hours, and no update thus far...

http://www.wtrfabcov.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=77876