Wharton: US officials said that two workers who were trapped when the ground failed at a West Virginia mine with a history of safety violations have died.
Officials for federal and state safety agencies say the incident occurred just after 8:45 pm yesterday at Brody Mine No 1 in Boone County.
Amy Louviere of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration say the miners` bodies were recovered.
The state Office of Miners` Health, Safety and Training identifies the workers as 48-year-old Eric D Legg and 46-year-old Gary P Hensley.
No additional injuries or trapped workers are reported. The state agency says preliminary indications show that a coal outburst was responsible but provided no other details.
In a statement, mine owner Patriot Coal confirmed the deaths and said a coal burst was the cause. The company did not respond to emails or calls about the incident or the mine`s safety record.
