Rescue crews have recovered the remains of the coal miner who had been missing since a WV mine flooded on Saturday, according to the state’s governor on the fourth day.
The remains was discovered inside the mine site near Belva, approximately 50 miles to the east of the capital city of Charleston.
Information of the Incident
A team of miners had encountered an unexpected water reservoir last weekend about three-quarters of a mile into the mine, which filled with water after an historic barrier “was compromised”, authorities reported. Over twelve other miners were accounted for after the incident was notified.
Previous Deaths at Mining Facilities
This death marks the third incident at a mining facility in West Virginia this calendar year. The other two occurred in adjacent the county of Raleigh: a case in the eighth month when an lift being inspected hit a worker on a ground-level area, and another in February when a coal seam collapsed on a subcontracted employee at a separate location.
Search and Rescue Attempts
Boreholes were created in the mine in an effort to speed up the rescue mission, and dive teams searched possible locations in the water where pockets of air might exist. Specialized communication equipment were provided to enable better underground communication over great distances.
About the Mine
The Rolling Thunder is one of 11 subsurface operations operated in West Virginia by the Tennessee-based corporation. The business also operates multiple open-pit sites in the region, as well as other underground and surface mines in Virginia.
Officials said that the abandoned mine adjacent to Rolling Thunder had been in use during the mid-20th century.
Engineering Report
A study completed in February for the operator by an technical advisory group indicated that the area had been thoroughly investigated by prior operators, generating substantial archival information that was reviewed in evaluating its coal extraction prospects.
The same report notes that the mineral deposit runs along and below the water flow of a local stream, but said there were “no significant hydrologic concerns” affecting mining.
