Gov. spokesman: Rescue crews again making way into W.Va. mine to try to find blast survivors
By Vicki Smith, APFriday, April 9, 2010
Rescue crews back in mine to look for survivors
MONTCOAL, W.Va. — A spokesman for West Virginia’s governor says rescue teams have headed back into a West Virginia mine to look for four miners missing since an explosion killed 25 workers.
Officials say they will also pump nitrogren in to flush dangerous gases out.
Gov. Joe Manchin spokesman Melvin Smith confirms that the teams were back in the mine early Friday. Officials estimate it will take one to two hours to reach the first search area.
Federal coal safety administrator Kevin Stricklin says levels of noxious gases had dropped but not enough for the crews to re-enter the Upper Big Branch mine. So they chose to use the nitrogen.
Rescuers are eager to resume the underground search in the slim hope that the men made it to one of the rescue chambers in the mine.
Tags: Accidents, Air Quality, Barack Obama, Energy, Explosions, Montcoal, North America, Personnel, Search And Rescue Efforts, United States, West Virginia
