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COAL MINE FATALITY - On Thursday, January 19, 2006, an underground mine fire occurred near the longwall conveyor belt drive. Miners working underground began evacuating the mine. Heavy smoke was encountered by the 12 miners who were evacuating from the development section located inby the fire area. Two of the 12 miners became separated from the group. Despite initial rescue efforts, the two miners could not be located. On January 21, 2006, mine rescue teams located the bodies of the missing miners and transported them to the surface.

Photo of Accident Scene Described in Paragraph Above

Best Practices
  • Remove all accumulations of combustible material.
  • Maintain equipment in safe operating condition.
  • Conduct thorough conveyor belt examinations.
  • Ensure that hazardous conditions are immediately corrected.
  • Immediately investigate any indication of fire. Treat an alarm as if a fire exists until proven otherwise.
More Information E-mail Suggestion for Accident Prevention Program Submit your own suggestion for a remedy to prevent this type of accident in the future.
Please specify if you wish your submission to be anonymous or whether your name may be used. Please include the year of the fatality and the fatality number.


These are the 14th and 15th fatalities reported during calendar year 2006 in the coal mining industry. As of this date in 2005, there were no fatalities reported in coal mining.

The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary data ONLY and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.


For more information:
Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report



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