News Out Of Huntington Goes From Bad To WorseA disastrous cave-in Thursday night killed three rescue workers and injured at least six others who were trying to tunnel through rubble to reach six trapped miners, authorities said. Mining officials are now indicating that they are suspending the rescue effort.
With the cousin of one of the six trapped miners dying in this latest twist, all workers have now been evacuated from the site. Utah's governor now wants a full investigation before any further action is taken.
City's mayor calls it a "Devastating blow to an already tragic situation."
It was a shocking setback on the 11th day of the effort to find miners who have been confined at least 1,500 feet below ground at the Crandall Canyon mine. It's unknown if the six are alive or dead.
Officials said the cave-in was caused by a mountain bump, which commonly refers to pressure inside the mine that shoots coal from the walls with great force. Seismologists say such an event caused the Aug. 6 cave-in that trapped six men inside the central Utah mine.
It was not immediately clear where the rescuers hurt or killed were working or what they were doing at the time. Underground, the miners had advanced to only 826 feet in nine days. Mining officials said conditions in the mine were treacherous, and they were frequently forced to halt digging.
"The seismic activity underground has just been relentless. The mountain is still alive, the mountain is still moving and we cannot endanger the rescue workers as we drive toward these trapped miners," said Bob Murray, chief of Murray Energy Corp., the co-owner and operator of the Crandall Canyon mine.
Officials say it's impossible to know what caused the vibrations and on Thursday clarified the limits of the technology. Nothing had been detected or heard since the five-minute period Wednesday.
MSNBC