Search teams have recovered the remains of the mine worker who had been unaccounted for after a West Virginia mine was inundated with water on the weekend, according to the state’s governor on Thursday.
The remains was found inside the mine site near Belva, approximately 50 miles to the east of the state capital of the capital.
Details of the Incident
A team of miners had encountered an unexpected water reservoir last weekend about 1.2 kilometers into the underground site, which filled with water after an old mine wall “was compromised”, officials reported. Over twelve other workers were accounted for after the accident was reported.
Previous Deaths at Mining Facilities
This fatality marks the third incident at a mining facility in the state this calendar year. The previous two took place in adjacent the county of Raleigh: a case in August when an lift being inspected struck a worker on a ground-level area, and a second in February when a coal seam fell on a contractor at a separate location.
Rescue Operation Attempts
Holes were drilled in the mine in an attempt to accelerate the rescue mission, and dive teams explored potential areas in the water where pockets of air might be present. Advanced communication tools were provided to facilitate better subsurface contact over great distances.
Mine Background
The mine in question is among eleven subsurface operations operated in West Virginia by the Tennessee-based corporation. The firm also runs multiple open-pit sites in the region, as well as other mining locations in neighboring Virginia.
The governor said that the disused site next to the active mine had been in use during the mid-20th century.
Consultant Assessment
A study completed in the winter for the company by an technical advisory group stated that the area had been “extensively explored” by previous mine owners, generating substantial archival information that was reviewed in evaluating its potential for producing coal.
The identical document says that the mineral deposit runs parallel to and beneath the drainage of a nearby creek, but stated there were “no significant hydrologic concerns” affecting extraction activities.
