Massey chief exec offers support, asks for prayers for 4 missing miners, rescue crews

Massey chief offers support after mine explosion

MONTCOAL, W.Va. — Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship is using Twitter to discuss efforts to rescue four coal miners missing in West Virginia after an explosion killed 25 of their colleagues.

Blankenship tweeted on the social networking site Thursday for the first time since Monday’s disaster. He wrote that his employees were tirelessly and courageously working and called the effort by federal officials amazing.

He also says he has received a huge number of supportive e-mails that he can’t possibly respond to all of them.

His company’s mine has been criticized for safety violations and putting profits ahead of human lives.

He also noted what he called “the indignity of much of the media.”