mine blast News

Explosion at Anglo American Coal Mine in Australia Injures 5, Halts Production

An explosion halted production on Wednesday at a coal mine run by Anglo American in Australia’s northeastern state of Queensland, injuring five people just months after a review of the industry called for better regulation. The incident is the company’s …

Labor Union Report: 43 Killed on the Job in West Virginia in 2011

A new labor union report says 43 workers were killed on the job in 2011 in West Virginia, down from 95 the previous year that included a mine blast that killed 29. According to the report by the AFL-CIO, there …

Pennsylvania Mining Firm Fined $900K Over Deadly Explosion

An administrative judge has ordered a small Pennsylvania mining company to pay $900,000 in fines related to the 2006 explosion that killed a miner and resulted in criminal charges against three others, a newspaper reported Friday. Federal officials say the …

Mine Owner Massey Blamed for Deadly West Virginia Blast

The worst U.S. coal mine accident in four decades, in which 29 miners died, was “man-made” and could have been avoided if the mine owner, Massey Energy Co , had followed basic safety measures, an independent investigation concluded Thursday. The …

Feds, Shareholders at Odds Over West Virginia Mine Blast Documents

Federal prosecutors want to block Massey Energy Co. shareholders from reviewing documents gathered during civil and criminal investigations into last April’s deadly explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia. Shareholders are suing Virginia-based Massey, its officers and …

Wrongful Death Suits Filed Against Massey Over West Virginia Mine Blast

The families of two coal miners killed in the Upper Big Branch mine blast in West Virginia last year filed wrongful death lawsuits against the mine’s owner, Massey Energy Co, saying it was a “catastrophe waiting to happen,” The suits …

Equipment, Coal Dust Caused West Virginia Mine Blast: Probe

Federal investigators said Wednesday a small fire caused by a methane or natural gas leak likely set off a massive blast of coal dust that killed 29 miners at Massey Energy’s coal mine in West Virginia last year. Several sprinklers …