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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 13, 1993                   TAG: 9301130234
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: STATE  
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHARLESTON, W.VA.                                LENGTH: Short

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BAD VENTILATION CALLED FACTOR IN MINE FIRE

Inadequate ventilation contributed to a flash fire that injured five men in a Consolidation Coal Co. mine last month, state officials said.

Twenty-five other violations found at the Amonate No. 31 mine on the Virginia-West Virginia border were minor and did not contribute directly to the explosion, said the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training.

Doug Conaway, administrator of enforcement and safety, said Monday the mine's ventilation system was inadequate to prevent a buildup of combustible methane gas.

Investigators have not determined what ignited the methane, he said.

Consol will be fined for the violations, Conaway said. He did not know how much.

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