Advertising

The Seattle Times Company

NWjobs | NWautos | NWhomes | NWsource | Free Classifieds | seattletimes.com

The Seattle Times Nation & World
Clear

73°F


Our network sites seattletimes.com | Advanced

Friday, August 17, 2007 - Page updated at 02:08 AM

E-mail article     Print view      Share:    Digg     Newsvine

Utah mine rescue effort stalls after 3 killed, 6 hurt

The Associated Press

Enlarge this photo

RICK BOWMER / AP

One of the rescue workers injured Thursday night while trying to tunnel through rubble at the Crandall Canyon Mine, in an effort to reach six trapped miners, arrives at Castleview Hospital in Price, Utah.

HUNTINGTON, Utah — A disastrous cave-in Thursday night killed three rescue workers and injured at least six others who were trying to tunnel through rubble to reach trapped miners, authorities said. Mining officials were considering whether to suspend the rescue effort.

It was a shocking setback on the 11th day of the effort to find six 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.

Six of the injured were taken to Castleview Hospital in Price. One died there, one was airlifted to a Salt Lake City hospital, one was released and three were being treated, said Jeff Manley, the hospital's chief executive.

The second dead worker died at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, said hospital spokeswoman Janet Frank. Another worker there was in critical condition with head trauma but was alert, she said.

The third death was confirmed by Rich Kulczewski, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Labor, but additional details were not immediately available.

No official cause of death has been given for any of the miners who died.

Authorities 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.

Thursday's bump showed up as a magnitude 1.6 seismic event at University of Utah seismograph stations in Salt Lake City, said university spokesman Lee Siegel.

It was not immediately clear where those who were injured were working or what they were doing when they were hurt. Crews have been drilling holes from the top of the mountain to try to find the miners, while others were tunneling through a debris-filled entry to the mine.

Underground, the miners had advanced to only 826 feet in nine days. Mining officials said conditions were treacherous, and they were frequently forced to halt digging because of seismic activity.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

More nation & world headlines...

E-mail article Print view

advertising

advertising

Advertising

Marketplace
More Nation & World

UPDATE - 03:02 PM
New General Motors about to roll off assembly line

Jobless claims indicate economy remains weak

Tough fight coming up in Afghanistan, Petraeus says in Seattle

UPDATE - 05:52 PM
Worst violence since US pullback hits Iraq

Afghan blast kills 25, half of them children