Kentucky Coal Mine Collapse Leaves Two Dead
Mine officials confirmed that two Kentucky coal mine workers have been found dead in Hopkins County, Kentucky. Just weeks after the West Virginia mine disaster, two miners were trapped in a coal mine collapse last night. Over 30 rescuers worked through the night to try to recover the miners, but Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear confirmed this afternoon that both miners have been found dead.
Reportedly, the accident happened last night when a section of the Kentucky coal mine roof collapsed approximately 500 feet underground, trapping two miners under falling rock and debris. Governor Beshear released a statement offering condolences to the families:
"Today has been a terrible day for Kentucky and for our coal-mining families," the governor said in a statement. "I am very saddened to announce that we have lost two miners, Michael Carter and Justin Travis, in the roof collapse at Dotiki mine in western Kentucky. Our entire state mourns along with their families and friends. Despite our sadness, we must press forward to the work ahead of us - fully investigating what caused this accident and determining ways to avoid such accidents in the future."
This story will continue to develop, as there are several negative safety reports regarding the collapse. The Lexington Herald Leader reports that there have been 31 orders to close sections of the mine or to shut down equipment because of safety violations since January 2009. Further, since 2005, there have been 2,973 citations on the mine from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Related Resources:
- Beshear Goes to Western Kentucky Mine... (Lexington Herald Leader)
- Governor Confirms Both Miners Dead (14WFIE News)
- Massey Energy: 600 Safety Violations in Year and a Half (FindLaw's Injured)
- Accident & Injury Law (FindLaw)
- Federal Law and Workers' Compensation (provided by The Law Firm of Peters & Wasilefski)
- Workers' Compensation Death Benefits (provided by Wood and Carlton, P.C.)