
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 14, 1991                   TAG: 9102140625
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ST. CHARLES                                LENGTH: Medium

ONE COAL MINER KILLED, THREE MISSING IN LEE

State officials say they have no indications of what caused a cave-in at a Lee County coal mine in Southwest Virginia that killed one miner and left three missing.

Harry Childress, chief of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy's Division of Mines, said the state had five investigators on the scene, and had yet to determine the cause of the Wednesday accident.

He declined to release the name of the dead miner until his family was notified. Rescue efforts continued for the other three.

"We're holding out hope that they are alive," Childress said this morning. "We cannot confirm that at this time."

Chunks of rock about 10 to 15 feet thick, 200 feet long and 20 feet wide prevented rescue crews from reaching the miners, he said.

"We have a good bit of rock that we're going to have to get moved to get to them," he said. "We're concentrating on the safety of the rescuers and recovering the other three people."

He said the size of the fall was unusually large. There was no reported explosion and Childress said there were no indications the mine was unsafe. "In reviewing the records, there's no indication of previous problems," he said.

Officials at LJ Coal Corp. mine in the Puckett's Creek area said a massive roof fall occurred between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Twenty-two miners are employed at the mine.

Apparently, four people were trapped by the fall, he said.

Rescuers "have reached one person and they have confirmed [he's dead]," Childress said. "They have not recovered him. We still have three unaccounted for."

The identities of the missing miners were not known, Childress said.

At the mine, officials were turning people away who wanted to help Wednesday night because they couldn't use them all. A crowd gathered outside the mine, including relatives of miners.

One man, who asked not to be identified, said several members of his family work at the mine, but that he had heard from only one son. That son was involved in the rescue effort and was able to call his home, the man said.

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB