Utah Rescue Workers Killed
On August 16, 2007, three members of a rescue team were killed and another six were injured when a mine near Huntington, Utah, caved in. The workers were attempting to reach a group of six miners that were trapped underground after the mine collapsed eleven days earlier.
Fast Facts
- Occurred at Crandall Canyon mine
- Over 130 people were involved in the rescue effort
- Seismic activity caused the original collapse and impeded rescue attempts
- Rescue workers had traveled about 800 feet and had another 1,200 feet to go before reaching the trapped miners
- 325 citations against the mine had been issued by government mine inspectors since 2004 1
Quotes
"The seismic activity underground has just been relentless. The mountain is still alive, the mountain is still moving and we cannot endanger the rescue workers as we drive toward these trapped miners."—Mine owner Robert Murray 1
"Last night, the right rib exploded off of a coal pillar with tremendous force and knocked out all the ground support we had in place."—Richard Stickler, head of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration 2
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