 Investigators and miners gather Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006 near the entrance to the mine where 12 people were killed in an explosion in Tallmansville, W. Va. The nation's deadliest coal mining accident in more than four years began with an explosion 260 feet underground early Monday that federal investigators have yet to explain. (AP Photo/Bob Bird) TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — For nearly two days, the Sago Baptist Church sheltered family members praying for the safe return of 13 trapped miners. For a few hours, it was also a place of celebration after a mistaken report that all but one had miraculously survived. Wednesday night, with the cruel reality that 12 of the miners had been found dead and one was in critical condition, grieving family members and others returned to the church with candles and hymnals to start healing the only way they know how — by praying.
One by one, people were given the chance to talk about the victims. Many were friends or fellow coal miners.
“I know the men under that hill and I called them my brothers,” one miner said, his voice cracking with emotion. The service also included a solemn hymn with the line: “Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine. We’ll understand it, all day by day.” The country’s deadliest coal mining accident in more than four years began with an explosion 80 metres underground early Monday that federal investigators have yet to explain. But coal mine explosions are typically caused by buildups of naturally occurring methane gas or highly combustible coal dust in the air. David Dye, who heads the Mine Safety and Health Administration, said the investigation — which will likely focus on the buildup of naturally occurring methane gas and coal dust in the mine — will also probe “how emergency information was relayed about the trapped miners’ conditions.” Just before midnight Tuesday, families received word that 12 miners were alive. Bells at the church pealed and politicians proclaimed the rescue a miracle before the truth emerged three hours later. At that point, the families’ joy turned instantly to fury, with one man lunging at coal company officials. Ben Hatfield, chief executive of mine owner International Coal Group Inc., said that the Ashland, Ky.-based company did the best it could under extreme stress and exhaustion, and that officials “sincerely regret” the families were left to believe for so long that their loved ones were alive. “In the process of being cautious, we allowed the jubilation to go on longer than it should have,” a choked-up Hatfield said. He said the initial mistake resulted from a miscommunication among the rescue crews. Another ICG executive, vice president Gene Kitts, suggested the misunderstanding resulted because the rescuers who reached the victims were wearing full-face oxygen masks and used radios to report their findings to their base. The sole survivor, 26-year-old Randal McCloy, lay in critical condition in a Morgantown hospital with a collapsed lung, dehydration and other serious problems but no sign of carbon monoxide poisoning after being trapped for more than 42 hours. He was unable to speak because of a tube inserted in his throat to ease his breathing, but he could communicate by squeezing his wife’s hand.
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