Indiana Mine Accident Leaves 3 Dead

(CBS/AP)  A large bucket carrying people plunged 500 feet down an air shaft being built at a coal mine Friday, killing three men, authorities said.

All other people at the site have been accounted for, said George Zugel, director of safety and health for Frontier-Kemper Constructors Inc., which is building the 550-foot vertical ventilation shaft at the Gibson County Coal mine in southern Indiana.

Crews were working to remove the bodies after the late-morning accident, Sgt. Jay Riley said.

The "sinking bucket" can hold six to 10 people and is about 6 feet high, worker John Ervin said. Authorities did not say whether anyone other than the three victims was in the bucket.

"I don't understand how this could have happened," Ervin said.

At the start of a shift, the bucket typically takes about six people down to the work area at the bottom of the shaft, Ervin said. The bucket is inspected daily, he said.

The accident comes four days after six miners were trapped after a coal mine collapsed in Utah. Rescue teams were still trying to reach them on Friday.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee said more attention needs to be paid to mine safety.

"These are terrible tragedies, not only for the workers and their families, but for all of the brave men and women who go to work each day in America's mines," said Sen. Kennedy, in a written statement.

He added, "As we move forward, we will be conducting a thorough investigation into the causes of both of these accidents, and the adequacy of our accident prevention and response efforts for all of our mines. Year after year, there have been too many lives lost and too many unanswered questions — we owe it to these workers and their families to find out exactly what happened, and how future disasters like these can be prevented."

The victims' names were being withheld until their families were notified, Zugel said. A message left at the Gibson County coroner's office was not returned.

The mine, owned by Tulsa, Okla.-based Alliance Resource Partners, is about 30 miles north of Evansville.

Officials from the Indiana Department of Labor and the Indiana Bureau of Mines are investigating at the mine, said Labor Department spokesman Sean Keefer.

The mine began production in July 2000. The last fatality was in November 2001, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. The miner died after being pinned by equipment, and operator error was cited as the cause.

In 2006, the company produced more than 3.5 million tons of coal, ranking second among the state's coal producers, according to the Indiana Coal Council.

[coalminerdau]

I am with the guy no one cares about the minner till he dies.my dad has been a coal minner for 30 plus years been in a mine when it flooed . No one cares till we have a distare.these men deserve a lot of credit for the miners for keeping you with power.the minners and familys in utah are in my thoughts and prayers my father works in a mine that bob murrary owns in west virgina.keep up the good work coal miners we love you

[armymomof4]

May GOD be with the families tonight as they are dealing the loss of loved ones. They Are in my prayers.

[history_101]

Posted by eccentric506 at 09:39 PM : Aug 10, 2007
What drives this is that in our 24 hour news cycle trapped miners is a story with legs, it can last for days. A construction worker falls off the 10th flor and its done, end of story. A piece of equipment falls on a factory worker, same deal.

If you look at US occupational deaths per 100,000 workers, mining doesn't make the top ten. And our mines our 100 times safer per ton of coal produced compared to China. 6,000 miners die in China every year. That's 16 a day, or nearly two Iraq wars every year {so its probably Bush's fault).

I hope these guys are found safe, but this is more hype than news.

[eccentric506]

Everyone is quick to blame Bush for everything in the world that happens wrong--undoubtedly they will blame him for tornados and thunder showers.

The legislation that slashed funds to various projects including mine safety is the legislature, pure and simple. Its not just the neocons or the devil dems. They are equally at fault kotowing to the special interest lobbies that fund their re-elections. We have the best legislators that MONEY can BUY. When we elected a republican legislature they out demmed the democrats in earmarks and pork barrel spending but slashed funds to the needed projects like mine safety and infrastructure. NUFF SAID

[markmarion]

I have been a underground coalminer for the past 23 years. It is so funny to me that nobody cares about a coalminer until someone gets killed. This is only the to of the iceburge!!!.






















I have been a coalminer underground for the past 23 years. I wish the powers that be would open your eyes and look deeper than an death that happens. I have helped carry 4 friends of mine out of a mine after a roof fall or equipment has killed someone, it is a bad feeling and so hard to deal with.
but this is only the top of the Ice
burge, In Ky the black lung is almost imposible to get, I have had a friend that was hurt working his job underground, let go because his 6 months was up. no income for his family. back problems,neck, knee, hips,. is only just a few of the thing we have to deal with. The only thing coal co is intrested in is the black on the ground. In Kentucky coal co have to pay coal severance money to the state, which goes to roads or buildings that stand empty for years.
WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP THIS COUNTRY IN ELETRIC power.There are no retirment paychecks only a 401k that will be gone in a flash is you go to the hospital.no medical. for all the pains and hurts for service. All coalminers need help with some kind of retirment that the coal industry should have to pay for. and belive me they have more than enough to do that. HELP US not only in safty but in LIFE AFTER COALMINES.

MARK MILLER







d

[drummer94]

BAM! Good one RDS!

[randalds]

Posted by scs3232 at 05:21 PM : Aug 10, 2007

Well at least you've properly demonstrated the intelligence level of the average Bush base supporter.

[bogusbones]

This Administration has slashed budgets for numerous oversight agencies. Companies (such as mining) have no fear of being investigated or rated by a government regulating agency. If they are by remote chance investigated, it is cheaper to pay the fine rather that live up to the rules. This administration has found so many ways to "shaft" the American taxpayer to pay for their illegal war that it is almost criminal.

[scs3232]

RandalDS - Yes it's a quote and it's applicable.
Does Barry Manilow know you raid his wardrobe? Are you that pathetic - know what a "quote" is for? I must really bug you - you couldn't ignore me if you tried. But mess with the bull, young man, you'll get the horns. The elevator obviously failed because you said it did - not because you're there and have investigated it first hand. I'm simply offering a counter to your blind Bush bashing, not taking away from what happened there - I would expect YOU to know the differnce. Ultimately this banter is social; demented and sad, but social. Too easy.

[randalds]

Why assign blame when correcting the problem is (I hope) more important?

Posted by wilmer425 at 04:42 PM : Aug 10, 2007

It is more important, that's true, but without also assigning blame then the problems with the system itself will never get fixed and it'll just keep happening over and over again.