Deadly Mine Blast in US; 25 Miners Dead, Four Missing

At least 25 people have been killed in an explosion in a US coal mine with four miners still missing deep underground, reported Reuters.

According to report, the incident, one of the deadliest at a US coal mine in recent years, took place at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, West Virginia. The mine is owned by Massey Energy.

Mine authorities said that as rescuers discovered more bodies underground hours after the blast, the death toll went up, report said.

In the meanwhile, US Mine Safety and Health Administration spokesman Kevin Strickland said that four men were still missing, said report.

“This is still a rescue operation,” he was quoted as saying. He, however, added that there was little hope the miners would be found alive.

The mine has two emergency chambers replete with food, water and enough air to survive for four days and rescuers believe that the missing miners had made their way there, report said.

Strickland said that rescue teams had to be pulled back from the search area as there was a continuing threat of methane gas underground, said report.

The rescuers planned to drill a borehole from the surface above the mine to try to reach the missing men, report said.

Leslie Fitzwater, a spokeswoman for the West Virginia Department of Commerce said that rescuers included officials from state and federal mine safety agencies and first responders from all levels of government, said report.

Earlier, Massey CEO Don Blankenship said that the company was ‘taking every action possible to locate and rescue those still missing’, said report.