An explosion from methane gas kills 25 coal miners. There are four still missing who might not survive from the gas explosion that occurred 1.5 miles from the entrance of the mine.
Rescuers drilled shafts to release methane and carbon monoxide. Gov. Joe Manchin said drilling could take up to 12 hours. They were hoping that the missing four would make to one of the two chambers for food, water and oxygen, but one of the chambers were empty.
A 62 year old man named Benny R. Willingham died from the blast and was only 5 weeks away from retiring Willingham had been a miner for 30 years.
Reports show that some of the miners died immediately from the blast and some died from breathing in the gas. 11 bodies were identified but the other 14 have not. Three of the victims were family members.
Unfortunately this is the highest death toll since 1984 when 27 died in a fire at Emery Mining corp in Utah. In 1970 38 miners were killed at Finley Coal Co. in Kentucky
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