Rescuers Still No Contact with Missing Miners in Tallmansville

The latest on the 13 mine workers trapped in the Sago Mine (NY Times).

SAGO, W.Va., Jan. 3 – Carbon monoxide levels near the site of where 13 coal miners are believed trapped 260 feet underground are three times higher than breathable levels, the mine’s owner said today, as rescuers continued the search for workers who have been trapped for more than 29 hours.

Rescuers have still not reached the trapped miners in Tallmansville, WV. According to the Washington Post searchers had punched a hole into the mine early this morning, but a company executive said he was “very discouraged” by air quality tests.

Carbon monoxide levels measured 1,300 parts per million, exceeding the 400 parts per million maximum safe level, said Ben Hatfield, chief executive officer of mine owner International Coal Group Inc.

“We are very discouraged by the results of this test,” Hatfield said.

Still, Hatfield said the trapped miners could still be alive.

More info over at Michelle Malkin.

CNN: West Virginia mine rescue accelerated

TALLMANSVILLE, West Virginia (CNN) — Rescuers accelerated their search for 13 men trapped in a coal mine Tuesday a day after an explosion trapped them deep underground.

Rescuers were drilling two holes into the mine in addition to a six-inch hole that was completed earlier Tuesday, said Ben Hatfield, president of International Coal Group, which owns the Sago Mine in Tallmansville, West Virginia.

UPDATE: AP; Efforts to Find Miners Get More Aggressive

Rescue crews scrapped their conservative approach to free 13 trapped miners Tuesday after efforts to contact the men went unanswered and air samples showed continued high levels of contaminated air.

“We determined with the cooperation of state and federal agencies that we can move forward and at a quicker pace and do it safely,” said Ben Hatfield, chief executive officer of mine owner International Coal Group Inc. of Ashland, Ky.

“We believe we were overly conservative before.”

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