One worker was killed and another was trapped under rubble Thursday morning after a unused, 11-story coal tipple collapsed while it was being dismantled to allow reclamation of the land.
“Kentucky, we have some tough news out of Martin County to share,” Gov. Andy Beshear tweeted on social media Wednesday. “At least one of the workers trapped inside the collapsed coal preparation plant has died. Please pray for the family and loved ones of this individual.”
The Associated Press and other local and national news outlets reported that the complex in Martin County, was part of a coal mine and preparation plant that had been operated for 36 years by Excel Mining and Pontiki Coal, subsidiaries of Alliance Resource Partners. The mine was closed in 2013 but had seen its share of problems, the Lexington Herald Leader reported.
In 2000, two men died at the mine after a mine cart crash, and the company was cited for seven safety violations by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, the newspaper noted. MSHA ordered the preparation shut down in 2012 due to other equipment problems. The next year, Alliance shuttered the plant permanently and applied for a reclamation permit, the newspaper said.
The coal tipple, more than 100 feet in height, was once used to load coal for transport by rail or truck. The two men were on the ground floor and were buried under rubble when the structure fell.
Martin County Sheriff John Kirk said at a news conference that the rescue and recovery effort could take several days.
“This is a lot of weight. A lot of large metal structures, a lot of concrete, and very confined space. Very tight spaces,” he said.
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